


A Tale of Jaguars

by Loisceles



Category: Thundercats (2011)
Genre: Angst, Dark, Dubious Consent, F/M, Family, M/M, Mpreg, Stockholm Syndrome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:45:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 27
Words: 279,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7311901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loisceles/pseuds/Loisceles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Spoils of War

**Author's Note:**

> This is based on the Thundercats 2011 universe, but a very different timeline from the events taking place in the TV show, as this is supposed to happen before Grune gets back. So it changes the story quite a bit. It has no real propose but entertaining me.  
> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

**A Tale of Jaguars.**

 

**Chapter 01. Spoils of War.**

 

This was not happening. How was it possible that Thundera’s army had fallen that fast? Not even the clerics had stood a chance against the magic of the jaguar’s shamans! And the weapons they used… When had they developed that? It was outrageous! Granted, the Jaguar’s clan had been one of the strongest, and for generations had been said to dwell on elemental and dark magic, but this?

 

Claudus could only watch in fury as his personal guard, that had been protecting the palace, was rounded up and made to surrender. He didn’t have the Sword of Omens anymore. It had been claimed by the leader of the Jaguar’s clan, technically making the jaguar the new king of Thundera, and Lord of the Thundercats. If the sword worked for the feline, then Claudus was truly deposed. As things stood at the moment he was a prisoner, along with Jaga and some other members of the council. The majority were dead. A rare occurrence, since the council didn’t fight. This only enforced the defeated king’s belief that they had been betrayed by one of his own.

 

They were escorted to the throne room, to lay down the terms of surrender and decide the prisoners’ fate. Claudus was conducting himself with as much dignity as he could under the circumstances. The jaguars had taken the city and secured the palace in a matter of minutes. The warriors that had survived the battle were all in the royal grounds, heavily guarded, along with the surviving clerics. The clerics’ apprentices younger than sixteen were confined to the clerisy building, and waiting for a resolution.

 

The lion worried about the fate of his loyal subjects, and wondered about the fact that he was still breathing. The Jaguar clan had the reputation of being ruthless assassins, and not leaving any enemy alive. He frowned at Jaga when they were in the throne room along with the few members of the council that had survived, and two more nobles of the most notorious clans. Jaga was pensive. They didn’t had any idea of what Baal, the jaguar king, had in mind, but at least he seemed willing to discuss some form of agreement.

 

The new king was on the Throne, with the Sword of Omens and the gauntlet firmly attached to his belt. At his side was a younger jaguar, surely around mid-twenties, with the clan’s coat of arms on the chest of his armour. Baal’s son no doubt. Two more jaguars that seemed to be the king’s advisors were there too, as well as one shaman.

 

The jaguar looked at the royal prisoner with contempt. He apparently was in no rush to set the war to rest.

 

“Well. Let’s just wait ‘till we are all here. Shall we?”

 

Claudus frowned. Were there more survivors of the noble clans?

 

The main door opened again, and Claudus trembled in fear when he saw his two sons escorted into the throne room by four warriors. Both princes looked unharmed, and Tygra’s hand was on his younger brother’s back, offering support. The lion king turned to look at his nemesis, wanting to demand that his sons leave the premises. They were too young for this. Tygra was fifteen, and Lion-O twelve years old. While Tygra had already started his formal training with his weapon of choice, he was in no way a warrior. Neither of them had anything to do with the useless war between the Thunderians and the Jaguars’ clan.

 

Baal stood, and walked towards the prisoners with a wide smirk. He indicated his warriors that the young princes were to be kept apart from their father. He examined them more closely, pleased at what he saw. Both were young, but conducted themselves accordingly to their royal status, specially the older. The tiger carried himself with dignity and was doing an excellent job of looking every inch the prideful prince he normally was. His brother was fidgeting under the scrutiny, giving away his nervousness and fear, but that was to be expected, he was only twelve after all.

 

“Nice. Now we’re ready to start.”

 

“Is the princes’ presence necessary? They have nothing to do with politics or wars.” Said Jaga. The jaguar looked amused.

 

“Nothing? But they are the royal family; surely you have already started training them for the responsibility they’d have to face sooner or later. Well, this could be another lesson for them to learn: How to surrender properly.” He never stopped smirking, and Claudus was tempted to throw a punch at him. “Besides, I am an advocate of not talking behind the children’s backs when the theme involves them.”

 

That unnerved Claudus to no end. The jaguars were well known for their aggressiveness and rage in battle, but Baal in particular was famous for his cruelty.

 

“Why would we be talking about them in an amnesty treaty?”

 

“Ah, allow me to explain.”

 

The jaguar said, showing his teeth and pacing in front of the throne while he talked.

 

“It is customary to kill your enemy’s entire family once you have defeated him.”

 

Claudus’ entire body went rigid. He was ready to pounce over the king and do something stupid. He was not going to let the arrogant cat put a finger on his sons. Lion-O had grabbed Tygra’s arm and his face was showing his anguish. He had not yet learned to hide his emotions. The only indications that Tygra was as scared as his brother, were his clenched fists and pressed lips. The jaguar continued without given away that he had noticed the family’s reactions.

 

“However, there are sometimes when an alliance can offer a more attractive bargain.” He came face to face with the now enraged lion. Both cats were at the same height, the jaguar lacked the muscular built of the lion, but exuded a different power. The kind that you only dream of, and hope never to find in real life. “I have no use for a destroyed city, it would be a waste of time and resources to burn Thundera to the ground. But if it proves to be more trouble than it’s worth, I’d not hesitate to erase it from the map with everything in it.”

 

Claudus clenched his teeth. He didn’t like what the jaguar was implying, and he knew that he had no choice but to acquiesce with the other cat’s demands. He had people to worry about. Still, he’d prefer his sons out of the whole mess.

 

“And I suppose you have everything planned out.”

 

The jaguar smirked and continued.

 

“Your race is a very hypocritical one Claudus. You talk so much about justice and equality, but only for those who share your view of the world. You fashion yourselves as merciful and show rare actions of altruism, but never for someone who’s not a cat. Yet you are powerful and the lions had retained the crown for centuries. None of the other races had been part of the royalty in ages, until you got your first son.” He looked directly at Tygra, who flinched this time. The jaguar licked his lips. “But he’s not the heir, is he?” Baal looked at the lion again in amusement. “I wonder what happened to his clan.”

 

Claudus growled and gave a step towards the jaguar king. One of the warriors immediately put a spear in front of him to remind him of his current situation.

 

“What are you implying Baal?!”

 

“My, my. I’m not implying anything Claudus. I merely wonder.” The king chuckled and continued his pacing.

 

“To go to the point. Even when you are a tad bit egotistical, it’d be a shame to end your line and the inherent power it has. Taking into account that it’d be two powerful lines, for the tigers also had their special abilities. And Thundera is a very resourceful city that for some reason is stuck into complacence. There hadn’t been a lot of progress in here, but it has potential. It may only need a push in the right direction. I have successfully conquered the city and its resources, it’d be nice to include the inherited capabilities of your line into mine.”

 

Claudus was still growling under his breath. He thought he was starting to have an idea of what the jaguar was aiming for.

 

“An alliance between the clans often requires the mating of the heirs of course, if it’s on equal footing. When it’s not it’s acceptable for other members of the royals’ families to mate.” Baal continued, Claudus grunted at having part of his suspicions confirmed.

 

“I have no daughters. Such an alliance would have to wait a few years, unless you have one and are actually considering to leave your heir out of this.”

 

The jaguar actually chuckled at that statement.

 

“Oh Claudus, don’t try to be daft with me. You know perfectly well that a mating does not have to be between a male and a female. And you have two fine sons to do the job quite nicely.”

 

Tygra was just barely able to conceal his gasp. Baal spared him a glance, but he could tell that the young prince was aghast. No doubt the tiger knew what was going to be expected of him, since he was both the oldest and not in direct line to succeed his father. The other prince had a worried frown on his face. He was not getting the big picture, but understood enough to be concerned.

 

Claudus would surely try to get his youngest son out of the deal. He was the heir after all, and the jaguar had no doubt that his lion counterpart would fight to have his line untarnished. He was curious to see if the recently deposed lord of the Thundercats would willingly offer his adopted son instead of his blood-heir. Claudus looked ready to explode.

 

“They _both_ are too young to even think of mating.”

 

“Nonsense. Both are already past childhood, and biologically capable to mate already. It’s about time my only son gets serious in his duty to our line. Besides, it’s not really your choice, is it Claudus? It’s for the good of the kingdom.”

 

Jaga interceded then, because Claudus was incensed, pointing out the only thing that could make the king Baal reconsider.

 

“A mating like that would certainly guarantee a strong alliance, but it’ll end with both royal lines. There’d be no heirs, not from the mating per se at least.”

 

The jaguar looked amused at the cleric counsellor.

 

“Let me worry about that. I assure you that everything has been considered.” He returned to look at the lion and his smirk widened a fraction. “So, what is going to be Claudus? This is a point we must settle before we go over the rest of the agreement, as is the one point that’d decide the necessity of a treaty at all.”

 

Claudus was glaring daggers at the jaguar, truly enraged at the perspective of having to trade one of his sons for the survival of the city.

 

“If you are doing this in the hopes to assure that the Sword of Omens works for you or your descendants, you can forget it Baal. The Sword only recognizes the true Lord of the Thundercats!”

 

The laugh that answered the lion’s words was nothing but truly honest. Baal took a moment to take the Sword out and examine it.

 

“An interesting theory, but what use do I have for the Sword of Omens? It may be powerful, I’d give you that, but I, unlike you Claudus, do not need the approval of a weapon to know that I. Am. The. King.”

 

He sheathed the sword again and returned to their previous argument.

 

“Do not get yourself distracted Claudus. Come on! I’d even be considerate enough to let you choose which one of your sons you want to honour our peace pact.”

 

The jaguar was paying close attention not only to the lion in front of him, but at the young princes too. He noticed Tygra closing his eyes briefly, already accepting his fate, while unconsciously pushing Lion-O slightly behind him. The young lion had his brother’s arm in a death grip, and was looking wide-eyed at his father, like he couldn’t believe that the king of Thundera was actually complying.

 

Claudus clenched his fists as cold fury ran through him. He really didn’t have a choice. He had no doubt that the jaguar would kill everyone in the city without a second thought if his wishes were not granted. With a heavy heart he turned his head towards his sons, wanting to convey with his eyes how sorry he was. Both boys looked at him for an instant. He could tell that Lion-O was not really scared for himself, but for his brother. At his young age, the lion could grasp enough of the situation to know that he was the one his father would want to protect the most. Claudus looked at his oldest son, mentally asking for forgiveness for what he was about to do. He felt his mouth go dry as he gave his answer.

 

“Tygra.”

 

The tiger only nodded and bit his lip, his eyes lowered downcast. Lion-O’s pupils dilated and with an audible _No_ he tried to run to his father. Tygra caught his arm on time and pulled him at his side again, giving him a stern look, silently ordering him to stay put and not say anything. Lion-O grimaced at his brother, clearly not happy, but obeying. Baal grinned at the two boys to show his pleasure.

 

“Excellent. Now we can move to more logistical concerns. The princes are excused.”

 

Claudus watched as Tygra and Lion-O were escorted out of the throne room, both visibly shaken. Tygra managed to compose himself enough to look detached from the whole situation, and didn’t even try to look back. Claudus closed his eyes, and prayed for his son to understand. He hoped that at least his tiger would be allowed to say his goodbyes to his brother and himself.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was confined to his room for the three hours that took the clans to get to a reasonable agreement. He had been separated from his brother, who had protested loudly while the warriors had taken him to his own room, but it was fine with Tygra. He didn’t want Lion-O close to him at the moment. He didn’t want to explain what was about to happen and why. He understood his father’s decision, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t bitter about it.

 

He had been permitted to pack one bag, and he had done so under the vigilant eyes of his appointed guard. He had been almost sure that he wouldn’t be allowed his whip, but had risked it all the same, and had been pleasantly surprised when the jaguar hadn’t batted an eye at him packing his weapon. He supposed that as long as he didn’t try to use it, it was fine if he kept it.

 

He was looking out of his window, towards the clerisy building, thinking absently that he wasn’t going to have a chance to say goodbye to Cheetara. He heard his door opening and he turned around with a scowl to face the jaguar warrior that was at the entrance of his room.

 

“It’s time to go prince Tygra.”

 

The tiger nodded and, getting hold of his bag, followed his guard morosely to the front yard. There, he was reunited with his brother, who took him by surprise hugging him tightly. Tygra caressed his brother’s mane absently, thinking that the young lion was there to say goodbye, until he noticed the travel bag at Lion-O’s shoulders.

 

“L-Lion-O. What are you doing here?”

 

“The jaguar said that I’m going with you.”

 

“What?”

 

Tygra was aghast. Surely that was not part of the agreement. One of the warriors ordered them to move, and they were guided to the front of the line, where Baal and his shamans were starting to move to get out of the palace and the partially destroyed city. Tygra tried to talk to the king, but Baal only glanced at them, and once he was sure that both princes were there he gave the order to leave.

 

The young tiger didn’t know what to do. He caught sight of the king’s son, Jareid, and pulled on his arm before he walked away.

 

“Wait! My brother shouldn’t be here!”

 

The jaguar prince looked at him with a hint of amusement.

 

“Of course he should. He’s coming with us after all.”

 

“B-but, why? I thought there was an agreement! I’m going with you so you leave my people in peace! Lion-O…”

 

“He’s Claudus’ blood-heir. You don’t honestly believe that my father would leave him here, to be taught that the Sword of Omens should be his, and have to deal later with a young king who wants what’s supposedly his back. Also, with both of you living with us, Claudus would think twice about breaking the pact that they had signed.”

 

Tygra was speechless. He realized that Baal’s intention had always been to take both of them away. What had been the point to get Claudus to agree to a mating then? Had it been only to see if they were better off dead?

 

Jareid smiled to him and took his chin, caressing his lower lip with a thumb. Tygra froze, and his eyes widened in sudden fear. It was the first time that the jaguar prince was that close to him, and he was finally able to compare their height. Tygra’s body was still developing, and had not finished his growth. He barely reached the jaguar’s shoulders. Jareid chuckled at his discomfort and leaned over him to whisper to his ear.

 

“Don’t worry handsome. You’re still my choice for mate.”

 

Tygra gasped and freed himself from the jaguar’s grasp. Prince Jareid winked at him and turned to walk away. Of all the…!

 

The tiger was greatly discomfited, and didn’t utter a word while they walked out of the city. He kept Lion-O by his side, and tried not to think about their father or the fate that awaited them.

 

Unbeknownst to him, Claudus was watching the small delegation of the Jaguar’s army leave. With his two sons. The lion was seething with ire. Not only he had learned that two of his own councillors had betrayed him, he had also been forced to surrender his paternity rights to Baal. There was nothing he could do at the moment, but he promised, that one day he’d recover what was his. At least Tygra and Lion-O would be together. He hoped that they’d be fine, and that the jaguar prince respected their agreement and wouldn’t touch his younger son.

 

“If only Panthro and Grune had been here.”

 

“I doubt that the outcome would have been different.” Said Jaga behind him. “I don’t know where the jaguars got that power, but nothing we did seemed to affect them. At least Baal won’t be able to use the Sword of Omens.”

 

“Are you sure Jaga?”

 

“The Sword only obeys the true king, and would never acknowledge an evil master. The jaguars rely too much on dark magic for the Sword to accept the commands of their king.”

 

“I hope you’re right. But it’d really be small consolation.”

 

The lion looked as the jaguars exited what was left of the city to reunite with the rest of their army. They disappeared inside a curtain of heavy black smoke that was surrounding Thundera. They had used that to hide their army and turn their attack more lethal. The Thunderians hadn’t even seen them coming.

 

Claudus half hoped to take a look at the army that had so easily destroyed the city’s defences. But when the smoke lifted, there was nothing to look at.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was so absorbed in his own depressive thoughts that he didn’t notice the moment they walked trough the black smoke. He barely heard his brother’s exited gasp. It wasn’t until Lion-O pulled his arm and called him urgently that he lifted his eyes.

 

“Tygra! Look!”

 

“What do you…? For the…!”

 

The tiger gaped at the… thing in front of him. It was not possible! Lion-O was about to jump up and down in excitement.

 

“It’s a ship Tygra! Like the ones in the stories!”

 

It wasn’t just a ship. Tygra gulped while he took his first look at the jaguars’ army. There were many vehicles that looked like they could fly at high speed, and a few larger ships hovering in the air. The biggest one was on the ground right in front of them, no doubt waiting for them to board. The tiger now understood why the Thunderian army had had no chance. He hadn’t testified the battle per se, they had attacked at night and he had been told to remain in his room. But he had seen many lights that had seemed to come out of nowhere and lighted the dark sky.

 

A few soldiers separated from the group and climbed on some individual pods. They took to the air quickly and apparently got inside one of the larger ships. Tygra was baffled. Dark magic his pants! This had nothing to do with magic! Technology was supposed to be a myth! How in the great thunder had the jaguars done this?

 

“Whiskers.”

 

He didn’t want to get inside the ship, but he had no choice. The warriors almost pushed him to get him walking again. Jareid noticed his reticence and came at his side.

 

“Come on Tygra. You’re gonna like it.”

 

He really doubted it, but they entered the ship, and Lion-O was fascinated with the big metal structure. There was ample space for fifty people, and racks of weapons along one side of the ship. They were guided to a row of seats, just behind the cockpit and ordered to sit down. As soon as everyone was ready, the doors closed and the ship took to the air noiselessly. Tygra could feel that they were flying, but they were pretty much isolated. There wasn’t a single window or other way to see outside, and they couldn’t look into the cockpit. That made Tygra nervous, as he would have liked to know where they were going, but Lion-O was happy looking at everything in the ship. Not that there was that much to look at, but the young lion soon started to make all kinds of questions to the soldiers that were with them.

 

Tygra sighed, seeing that Lion-O had forgotten their predicament for the moment. He wished he could do that. He was still too nervous and scared to even enjoy the discovery of technology. He felt someone sitting beside him, and he looked up to find Jareid there. Great. Just great. As if he wasn’t anxious enough.

 

He tried to glare at the cat, but found that he really didn’t want to even look at him. Jareid was ten years his senior, an adult by every account. Tygra was afraid of what was to happen once they arrived to Ix-Maal, the jaguar’s city. He had never thought that he would find himself mated at such a young age, and to an older male on top of that. He knew pretty well what was the role he was expected to take in such an arrangement.

 

A hand caressed the back of his neck, sending shivers down his spine. Tygra bolted from the seat, and glared at the jaguar who just smirked at him. Lion-O interrupted his conversation with the soldier to look at him worriedly.

 

“Tygra? Are you ok?”

 

The tiger nodded to his brother, trying to make it seem that he just wanted to stretch his legs. Lion-O turned his head towards Jareid, and Tygra’s blood ran cold when he saw the jaguar smirking and extending a hand to touch his brother’s cheek.

 

“My. Aren’t you one curious little kit?”

 

Lion-O instinctively pulled back when Jareid’s thumb caressed his lips. Tygra was back on his seat in an instant, presenting a barrier between the jaguar and his brother. He told Lion-O to continue his talk with the soldier, and even smiled at him. The lion glanced nervously at the smirking jaguar, but complied with his brother’s wishes and soon was again engrossed on talk about technology.

 

Jareid’s hand was on Tygra’s neck again, and the tiger closed his eyes tightly. He didn’t want the jaguar’s hands on him, but he had understood the message clearly. He was going to be mated to Jareid, but there was nothing that stopped the jaguar from touching Lion-O if he so wanted. And the older prince had just made clear that it’d be Tygra’s job to make sure that he didn’t want to.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra endured Jareid’s attentions for the two hours that took the ship to arrive to its destination in a tense silence. Thankfully, the jaguar was content with just touching him over the clothes. Tygra made a great effort to prevent himself from bolting away again on two occasions. The first when the jaguar’s hand had run down his back and toyed dangerously with the hem of his trousers, and the other when Jareid caressed his left thigh and stopped short of touching his groin. Tygra’s entire body stiffened then, and he almost let go a loud yelp. He gulped instead and looked at the jaguar with loathing.

 

Lion-O noticed his brother’s body go tense and pressed himself to the tiger’s right side, trying to comfort him. Tygra appreciated the sentiment, but didn’t really feel better. In fact, having his brother so close to him when someone was blatantly molesting him was making his situation worse. He tried to remain calm for his brother’s sake, and had almost succeeded in relaxing a bit, when the ship suddenly stopped.

 

The tiger escaped as hastily as he could from the jaguar’s hands, earning a chuckle from his future mate, and tried his best to not turn to glare. He retrieved his bag and followed the soldiers out of the ship, along with Lion-O.

 

They emerged to a big courtyard, where every other ship had landed. There was movement everywhere and Tygra felt slightly overwhelmed. Wherever he turned were soldiers, with weapons he had never seen before. People were helping with the ships and other vehicles, some small like the hovering pods, and others larger, but didn’t look like ships. It seemed like they were in some sort of keeping place for the war gear. Their guards guided them along the courtyard, and Tygra noticed that they were following the king. At the distance he could see the towers of a palace.

 

They finally arrived to the end of the courtyard and the big gate that was there opened to reveal an ample stone yard. At the other side of the yard was one entrance to the palace. Tygra got a partial look of the place that was going to be his home from then on. He could not really appreciate it entirely, but it looked like it was built from white stone, it apparently was as big as Thundera’s palace. He could see no battlements, but the parapets and the roof were golden.

 

He didn’t have much time to look more. They entered to some kind of service hall, where a tall female jaguar with black mane and fur was waiting for them. Tygra guessed that she was the queen. At her side was a girl of about eight years old, who immediately ran towards the king.

 

“Dad! You’re here!”

 

“Ah, Yeana. I see you missed me!”

 

“She wouldn’t stop asking when you’d be returning.”

 

Baal greeted his mate while his daughter hugged Jareid. Queen Xilara turned then towards the two young cats that accompanied her husband.

 

“Well, what do we have here?”

 

“Princes Tygra and Lion-O are going to be living with us from now on.”

 

The king made the necessary presentations. Tygra and Lion-O greeted the queen and princess formally, and earned a pleased smile from them. Xilara didn’t look particularly surprised to see them there. In fact, she congratulated her mate for his victory and the alliance he had obtained, showing that she had known the plans beforehand. Tygra didn’t know what to make of that, so he stayed quiet. Xilara also told Baal that his people were waiting for him to announce his return.

 

The jaguar called a servant and instructed him to show the two princes their rooms, and made sure that they were installed and ready for dinner in an hour. Then he called the head of his shamans and his commander, and walked away with his family.

 

Tygra and Lion-O were guided in another direction, to the keep of the palace. They walked through ample halls and climbed two sets of stairs. Everything was built with the same white stone, red rugs were along the floors, and tapestries and portraits covered the walls. Here and there they could see the influence of technology in the palace. Like the light. There weren’t any torches. The illumination seemed to flow from the roof. Also, the doors they encountered were without a handle or any kind of keyhole. Tygra was wondering how they were opened, when they met another servant just entering the last corridor.

 

“Ah, Bengali. Good you’re already here. Prince Tygra, meet your personal assistant.”

 

Tygra gaped. He barely recovered to greet the white tiger that was in front of him. It was an adult tiger, but still looked young, possibly around thirty. At his side Lion-O beamed enthusiastically.

 

“You’re a tiger too!” Said the young lion. Tygra looked embarrassed at his brother’s outburst, but Bengali only smiled.

 

“Yes, I am little one. Why don’t you go with Xiao here to your room? I’m sure you’re going to like it. You’ll see your brother later.”

 

Lion-O nodded and went with the jaguar servant. Tygra looked as his brother was taken to a door a few meters away from his, on the other side of the corridor. As soon as both Lion-O and his companion disappeared, he turned to look at the white tiger.

 

“I’m sorry, it’s just that we had never seen another tiger before. I-I…”

 

“Don’t worry about it. There aren’t many of us anymore. Come, I’d show you your room.”

 

He pressed his hand at the doorframe and they heard a beep. The door didn’t open like Tygra was expecting. It slid inside of the wall, leaving the opening for them to enter. The tiger looked in bafflement at the door. He hoped that the servant would teach him how to open it, or he was going to be trapped in the room. He gulped in nervousness, thinking that maybe that was Baal’s intention, to keep both brothers prisoners in their own rooms until he pleased.

 

Therefore, he gave a sigh of relief when Bengali showed him not only how the door worked, but also the lights, and other things that used technology. It was an ample room. The walls were white, with some green tapestries where the bed was. There was a forest-green rug by the bed, two bedside tables with lamps, two armchairs near a small table and a big window at the other side of the bed. The white tiger helped him with the few things he had packed and showed him an en-suite bathroom, complete with a walk-in closet. Tygra was instructed to clean himself and get ready for dinner. Bengali would be waiting for him outside the room.

 

Once alone, Tygra started to move mechanically. He didn’t even see the clothes that the white tiger had prepared for him. If he stopped and gave himself time to think, everything was going to come crashing into him. He took a shower and was dressed and ready in twenty-five minutes. His clothes were a deep purple colour, with some patches of a lighter tone, no sleeves, and black boots to go with them. He absently thought that he preferred royal blue, but squashed the thought away. He was not going to think about home at all.

 

He was in front of a full body mirror, without really seeing himself. He was starting to tremble, when a knock and a noise at the door signalled that Bengali had gotten impatient.

 

“Ready prince? It’s time.” The white tiger said, not un-gently, noticing that the boy was one step from falling apart.

 

Tygra nodded and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. He wasn’t going to lose his dignity in front of the royal couple. It had been bad enough to do it in the ship, allowing Jareid to touch him as he had pleased.

 

He followed Bengali out of the room, and joined a still marvelled Lion-O, who didn’t stop talking about all the things in his room to his brother. Tygra soon noticed that the young lion wasn’t as enthusiastic as he had believed before. Once he was paying more attention to his brother, Tygra realized that the lion’s smiles looked forced, and his mannerisms were a bit exaggerated. Lion-O was trying to distract himself and his big brother in the only way he could think of. No doubt the boy was doing the same thing as Tygra, and refusing to acknowledge their situation.

 

The tiger stopped his brother in mid-sentence before they entered the dinning hall, and hugged him tightly. He muttered in the lion’s mane.

 

“Calm down Lion-O. We’d be ok. I’m here.”

 

The lion hugged his brother too, and nodded. He was more relaxed when they entered the hall.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Dinner was uneventful. Tygra and Lion-O weren’t required to talk much, but they were forced to listen to Baal’s tale about the battle and some of the clauses of the treaty. They briefly went over Tygra’s mating to Jareid, and how the tiger was to be presented to the council and the citizens. They were informed that the mating ritual was to be celebrated in a year, to give Tygra enough time to come to terms with it. That had been a special request of Claudus in consideration to his son’s young age. Baal saw no harm in granting it.

 

Tygra didn’t think that he’d ever get used to the idea of being mated to a male, but kept his thoughts to himself. There were so many things that could happen in a year. He was sure that his father was counting on being able to come with something to retrieve them in that time. He hoped Claudus could find a way out of the agreement, but he wasn’t too optimistic.

 

Lion-O was anxious. Listening to the adults talking had forced him to acknowledge the extent of their situation, and specially his brother’s new role. He inwardly cursed their poor preparation, their luck, technology, wars, and jaguars in general. He didn’t know what he could do to give support to his brother, what he did know was that the tiger would likely try to deal with the whole ordeal on his own. He worried about Tygra. His brother was so stubborn he’d likely make things harder for himself.

 

They were dismissed when dinner ended, and sent to their rooms. Before they parted ways in the hallway, Lion-O looked seriously at his brother.

 

“Tygra? Are you going to be ok?”

 

The tiger had his lips pressed in a tight line. It was evident to the little lion that his brother was upset. He wished the tiger would talk to him and let him help, but Tygra only sighed and offered his brother a stressed smile.

 

“Of course. You don’t have to worry about me Lion-O. Go to sleep.”

 

Lion-O was about to protest. He hated to be the youngest. No one ever took him seriously. He felt that Tygra underestimated him. He wanted to help. But before he could say anything, Xiao, the servant that had been appointed as his assistant, put a hand on his shoulder and hastily pulled him towards his own room. Lion-O looked up and glared at the jaguar, but saw that the servant’s attention was beyond their little group. Lion-O turned to see Jareid walking towards them with that exuberant smirk of his firmly in place. Lion-O looked anxiously at his brother. He didn’t want to leave Tygra alone with the jaguar prince, but the tiger had also noticed Jareid’s approach and with a movement of his head signalled Lion-O to leave.

 

“Come prince Lion-O. Your brother is going to be fine.” The servant muttered to him.

 

Lion-O was not too sure about the jaguar’s asseveration, but he had no choice. He followed Xiao to the room, praying that Tygra would really be ok.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

No sooner had Lion-O and his guard, because that was what the assistants were, entered the room than Tygra felt Jareid’s looming presence over him.

 

“Bengali, the prince and I need to talk, you wouldn’t be required tonight.”

 

Bengali lifted an eyebrow at the jaguar. After a moment’s hesitation, he said hastily.

 

“My prince, I really don’t think it’s proper for you to be visiting your intended at this late hour.”

 

Tygra was astonished at the white tiger’s temerity. He didn’t want the feline to get in trouble, but at the same time prayed for Jareid to listen to that piece of advice. To his surprise the jaguar laughed.

 

“Come on Bengali! Don’t be such a prudish! I only wish to talk to my future mate, and I think that the hour shouldn’t be a concern in this case. Besides, you were instructed to follow my orders in anything regarding the princes.”

 

Bengali huffed and crossed his arms.

 

“Must you do this now? The boy has just left his home, he deserves some time to adjust.”

 

“And he’d have it as soon as I’m done. Don’t worry, I’m not going to break him. Yet.”

 

That sentence didn’t reassure Tygra in the slightest. Bengali pressed his lips together, and looked like he was about to scream. Jareid stopped him before he could utter a word.

 

“If it makes you feel better, you can wait for me outside. Now, excuse us.”

 

The jaguar opened the door and pushed Tygra inside the room. He entered immediately behind and closed the door in the face of one very displeased white tiger.

 

As soon as the door was secured, Jareid turned to his fiancé. The orange tiger had practically run as far as the room allowed him, cornering himself in the process. He was scared, and it was all too evident. Jareid licked his lips. The still developing teen was going to be a very handsome feline, with a strong muscular body, and no doubt incredibly flexible. And was his. His property, to do as he pleased. The thought of having that excellent body under him, crying in agony and pleasure as he claimed it, was enough to make him hard.

 

He approached the tiger with determination. He wasn’t planning to reassure the boy, or give him time to get used to the idea of a mating. That was pure bullshit. The Thunderian prince needed to know that he belonged to Jareid, and that his life and everything in it depended on the jaguar’s wishes.

 

When he was a few steps away from his intended, Tygra realized his mistake and tried to escape to the centre of the room, but Jareid caught his arm and forced him into the corner again. Tygra rebelled and tried to fight the jaguar’s strong grasp. Jareid was amused at his efforts and after a few moments he easily trapped the tiger’s wrists and turned him over, pressing the boy’s face against the wall. He grounded his hips against the prince’s buttocks and moved, so the teen could feel his erection rubbing through the clothes.

 

Tygra froze. He was trapped, and their bodies were so close together, making the difference in their heights painfully evident. The tiger started to shake in fear. He couldn’t escape, he could barely move, the friction on his behind was driving him mad.

 

Jareid grabbed both slender wrists with only one hand, and with the other took hold of his captive’s jaw, forcing Tygra to lean slightly backwards. The teen whimpered and fought to move, but Jareid’s grasp was firm. The jaguar’s mouth was suddenly at Tygra’s ear, muttering quietly while thrusting his hips.

 

“I can’t wait to get inside of you. I bet that you’re all tight and hot.”

 

Tygra gasped as Jareid’s tongue licked his ear. Desperately he tried again to move. He had to get away!

 

“N-no. T-they said that I-I have a year.”

 

Jareid chuckled in his ear and gave him a nibble with his teeth.

 

“Of course. In a year, our mating would be recognized as official. In the meantime, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t enjoy the delicious body of my future mate.”

 

Tygra almost cried in desperation. Jareid turned him around to face him and took hold of the back of his neck and his rear. His legs were pushed apart by the jaguar’s knee, and soon he found himself almost riding the cat’s thigh that was rubbing against his groin. He was lifted towards the jaguar’s mouth; his toes were barely touching the floor.

 

“N-no… p-please…”

 

The tiger’s hands were on Jareid’s shoulders, vainly trying to push him away. Jareid paid no mind to his begging. With a sudden movement he reclaimed the prince’s mouth in a forceful kiss. Tygra’s eyes widened in utter shock. He was terrified, and in his panic he clenched his mouth shut and bit Jareid’s lip. The jaguar made a surprised noise, but didn’t retreat. He squeezed the teen’s buttocks, and pinched them painfully, making the tiger gasp. He returned the bite and Tygra cried this time, allowing him to completely invade the young mouth.

 

Tygra was clawing the jaguar’s shoulders, but Jareid didn’t care. The tiger needed air, he felt like he was drowning.

 

Finally, Jareid ended the kiss, and Tygra breathed deeply, trying to get as much air as he could. The jaguar smirked at the bloodied lips and licked them, eliciting a whimper from his victim.

 

“If you bite, my little tiger, I bite twice as hard.”

 

He kissed Tygra again, this time without any kind of resistance. The boy was as good as petrified and only wanted the nightmare to end.

 

Jareid’s mouth moved from Tygra’s lips to the right side of his neck. The jaguar reaffirmed his hold on the teen’s rear and the base of his head, and bite with enough force to draw blood. Tygra cried in pain. He pushed his assailant’s shoulders with all the strength he could muster, but he didn’t have any leverage and Jareid was way stronger than him.

 

The jaguar made sure that he had Tygra adequately balanced on his thigh with the wall’s support. His mouth didn’t release the teen’s neck, his bite kept the tiger in place while he freed his erection from his trousers. His other hand went under Tygra’s clothes and touched the soft fur for the first time. He continued molesting the tiger’s butt while he captured one of the thin wrists and pulled the smaller hand downwards. He put Tygra’s hand on his erection and covered it with his own, forcing the teen’s fingers to curl around his shaft and guiding the up and down movement along it.

 

Tygra gasped in pain and shame. With his eyes tightly closed and clenched teeth, he did his best to endure the abuse. At some point he thought he was going to throw up and tried desperately to detach himself, to not think.

 

It was an eternity before warm liquid covered his hand and arm, and he knew that his assailant had finished. He trembled at the thought that maybe the jaguar was only beginning and would take him that very night. He prayed to every deity he knew that Jareid was satisfied.

 

Apparently he was lucky, because Jareid quickly composed himself and his hand returned to Tygra’s neck.

 

“Not too bad. Next time it could be your mouth down there. Don’t worry, I’ll teach you.”

 

Tygra couldn’t be more terrified than he was at the moment. Jareid licked the angry red mark he had left in the youth’s neck, and smirked proudly.

 

“You’re going to make sure to show that off. Everyone has to know that you’re mine. Do you understand?”

 

The tiger gave a tiny nod, and the jaguar finally let him go. He lifted the teen’s chin one last time and kissed the bruised lips gently. He dried with his thumb a few tears that had escaped the brown eyes and smiled.

 

“You see my future mate, if you’re a good little tiger life can be quite pleasurable for you. If you decide to be difficult, then I’d have to be very rough with you. Either way is fine by me.”

 

He turned around after giving one last kiss to the shocked tiger. Tygra looked in a daze as his abuser exited the room. He couldn’t move. He was only standing because the wall at his back was supporting his weight.

 

Bengali entered to find a mess of the Thunderian prince. Tygra’s entire body was trembling uncontrollably, his hands were clenched at his sides, and his eyes were glazed and unfocused. There was blood on his lips and neck and possibly other bruises. The smell of the room and the viscous liquid on Tygra’s hand gave the servant a good idea of what had happened.

 

The white tiger bristled in fury. Pompous, egotistical, bastard! There was no need to leave the young prince in this state! If he wanted to show off his strength he could do it with someone who could actually fight back!

 

He carefully approached the teen, who gave no indication of noticing him.

 

“Prince Tygra? Look at me.”

 

Tygra’s eyes didn’t move. He was in shock. Bengali cursed his bastard of a prince again.

 

“Come Tygra. Let’s get you cleaned and into bed.”

 

The young tiger put no resistance when he guided him to the bathroom. He cleaned the youth’s face and hands with water and a soft cloth; and then helped him to change into comfortable pyjamas. Tygra moved mechanically and didn’t utter a sound. Bengali took him to the bed and tucked him inside the covers. Tygra curled and made a protective cocoon around himself. Bengali sighed and let him be. He exited the room quietly, praying that the young prince was more responsive the next day.

 

Once he sensed he was alone, Tygra let go a wrenching sob. He was ashamed of himself. He felt dirty and humiliated. If this was going to be his life, it was better to be dead. The tears started to run freely down his cheeks, and he cried silently until he fell asleep from exhaustion.

 

 


	2. STEPS INTO A NEW LIFE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting used to new environments...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.  
> Mention of cutting in this chapter, along with a graphic rape scene, be warned.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

Morning came, and Tygra was furious with himself. He wasn’t a bloody cub damn it! And he had cried and begged like a four years old! What had happened hadn’t even warranted his show of distress! He hadn’t been actually hurt, only treated like… like a whore. He felt like hitting himself. He had been so weak. He had allowed an irrational fear to control him! He was totally and completely humiliated, and he refused to go down to breakfast. In no way he was showing Jareid’s mark to Lion-O, or anyone for that matter! There were no clothes in his closet that would entirely hide the hideous mark, so he was not coming out in public. The sodden bastard wanted to show off his prize, well he could fucking forget it! He was not a thing! And he most certainly wasn’t some sort of toy for Jareid’s amusement!

 

He tried to refuse Bengali when the white tiger arrived with a light breakfast to his room. He was deeply embarrassed for the way he had acted in front of his guard, and couldn’t help but feel ashamed that someone had seen him in that deplorable state. However, the white tiger was having none of it. He practically forced Tygra to eat, pointing out that he needed to keep his strength and threatening with letting Lion-O into the room to keep him company. He assured Tygra that there was nothing to be ashamed of, and that it was understandable that he was a bit off after technically losing his home and been forced into a difficult situation like the one he was in.

 

The tiger prince caved, and even let himself accept some of the comfort that Bengali was offering. He’d never accept it out loud, but he needed the reassurance. He felt lower than dirt at the moment, and the kind words of the older tiger actually made him feel better.

 

He had been prepared to just stay forever in his room, like the prisoner he actually was, but it was not to be. Just after midday, the king in person came to visit. He seemed amused at Tygra’s little rebellion, and looked particularly pleased at the mark on the teen’s neck. Nonetheless, he pointed out, in no uncertain terms, what was expected of the young tiger. He also made clear that while he understood that the Thunderian prince might need some time to adjust to his new life, it was not an excuse to dismiss his responsibilities. In short, Tygra was not allowed to hide in his room to wallow in self-pity. There were still official meetings to be done, and protocol to follow. He was to be presented to the clan’s elders and the rest of the council. Then attend the official announcement of his impeding mating to the people in general, and the mandatory celebration. There was no time for self-pity.

 

Tygra listened to the king with tightly pressed lips and clenched fists, trying to keep himself in check, and not explode in desperation and misery. King Baal put a finger under his chin, subtly commanding him to look upwards.

 

“I know that my son is not the gentle type. He has always been brass and obnoxious. My fault, for allowing him to be spoiled. He’s not exactly used to take in consideration the other’s necessities. He takes what he wants, and is very aggressive when he’s denied. I know that it’d be hard to deal with him and his overwhelming personality, but you have a duty to perform young prince. It’d be a good idea to get used to your mate’s ways.”

 

Tygra blinked. An errant tear escaped his eyes without him noticing and Baal’s sight hardened at the blatant display of the teen’s distress. Tygra’s voice however was as steady as always, only quieter.

 

“Yes sir.”

 

The king nodded in approval. It’d take time, but the prince already knew how to conduct himself and was not going to be an embarrassment to the family. He only needed to get firmly on his feet again, and find something to focus. His brother was supposed to help make the transition easier, maybe he’d consider to leave them both in the same room for a while.

 

“Bengali will help you to get ready for the afternoon. It’s for the best that we get all the inane protocol done as soon as possible. That mark in your neck needs to be in plain view, understood?”

 

“Yes sir. I understand.”

 

“Good. If you are able to put on a decent show you and your brother are going to be allowed a modicum level of freedom in the palace. If you pass the elders’ scrutiny and manage to reach certain standards, you may even be allowed to be part of the kingdom’s forces. You do know what that would imply, don’t you?”

 

Tygra’s ears perked in interest. That meant that he could be allowed to train again. Maybe even with a weapon. His eyes recovered clarity, and the jaguar smiled at the change.

 

“I do sir. I’ll do my best.”

 

Baal was satisfied. It looked that the tiger had found something that would allow him to stop thinking too much about the mating part of his new life. The king knew that Jareid was going to be a handful, but he was confident that the young tiger could take his son’s rough treatment, maybe even take Jareid’s ego down to earth a peg or two. Baal knew that his son could be caring when he felt like it. If the young tiger could manage to actually get past Jareid’s obnoxious front and try to make the best of his situation, he could make things easier for himself.

 

For the moment it was enough that the Thunderian prince learned to cope with the jaguar nobles, and with his intended’s whims. Time would tell if the pressure had been too much for the tiger to handle, but Baal didn’t really believe that. The tigers were resilient, the young prince would adapt. The king was hopeful that Tygra would be good for his son. Jareid was too self-centred and envious. He needed to learn some humility and empathy or he wouldn’t be a good king. Perhaps the tiger could aid with that.

 

He left the room giving Bengali instructions to prepare the prince. He indicated that both brothers could have lunch in Tygra’s room, but the tiger must be ready for the council’s meeting at four. Bengali nodded his understanding and stayed with the young prince for the rest of the day.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

When night came, Tygra felt much more like himself again. Though he had had to endure Jareid’s presence at his side for the entire meeting and subsequent dinner, the jaguar prince had behaved. It had been an official meeting after all, and Jareid had shown his diplomatic and political skill. Tygra had quickly figured the protocol and followed accordingly. He had done fairly well, if he himself said so.

 

King Baal had been indeed pleased with the young tiger’s performance, and had proposed that the brothers would be trained to join the Hunters of the clan. This had been accepted by the majority of the council, confirming that Tygra had given a good impression.

 

Tygra was pretty excited by the deal. Bengali had explained to him and Lion-O what being a Hunter implied. If they were good, they’d get to go out to the jungle. It’d be a lot of exploring and tracking, and the training was hard.

 

Both of them also got to continue their preparation to be part of the government. Lion-O was not very happy about that. He’d have preferred to never hear about politics again. Tygra tried to cheer him up, mentioning that maybe in the future he could be allowed to return to Thundera. Someone would eventually have to step into their father’s place after all.

 

Lion-O smiled in acceptance, but noticed that Tygra only mentioned him when talking about returning. That didn’t sit well with the young lion. It was as if his brother had already given up on their chances of going back home. Lion-O still believed that their father would think of something to retrieve both of them. He didn’t believe that Claudus would ever give up any one of his sons. They just had to be patient.

 

Tygra didn’t share his brother’s confidence. But then again, he was older, and understood politics a little better. He had always known, in some hidden recess of his mind, that if forced to choose between his two sons, Claudus would keep his lion. To have that particular belief confirmed had hurt, but Tygra had understood. In the same way that he understood that if there was any chance of Claudus finding a loophole that allowed one of them to return to Thundera, it’d be for Lion-O.

 

But there was no need to explain the intricacies of kingship and bloodlines to his little brother. He’d understand in his own time. For now, they were looking forward to a new training, and Tygra to just forget the _other_ part of his deal at least for some moments a day.

 

Lion-O had been told that he could stay in his brother’s room for as long as he wanted, but he knew Tygra well enough to know that the tiger wouldn’t appreciate him staying to sleep. The prince would see it as mothering, and he considered himself to be too old to need any kind of mothering or any other show of concern from his little brother. In Tygra’s mind he should be the one to give confidence and comfort, not Lion-O.

 

The lion prince didn’t agree with his brother. He knew that Tygra needed some measure of comfort. A hug once in a while wouldn’t kill him. But his brother was stubborn, so Lion-O would have to be sneaky. He may be having a nightmare one night, so he could get into Tygra’s bed and share the comfort without his brother thinking he wanted to mother him. He wondered if Tygra would hear him waking up should he really have a nightmare. Their rooms were not so far apart, after all.

 

The servants however, seemed to think that they were going to spend the night in the same room, because both disappeared around ten, leaving the two brothers to their own devices. Tygra was lounging lazily on the bed, while Lion-O was sitting at the small table, looking at a book on technology that Xiao had given him, and talking animatedly about it.

 

The tiger was amused at his brother’s not so subtle attempt to stay with him, and was wondering if he should send Lion-O to his room, while the lion was pretending not to notice the time. Tygra was about to just let his brother spend the night with him, when the door to his room opened, and in came Jareid.

 

Tygra bolted upright and stood at the bedside, wide eyes looking fearfully at his unexpected visitor. The jaguar looked pointedly at the young lion, who immediately abandoned his chair and sat on the bed, beside his brother. He was determined to not leave Tygra’s side, but the tiger looked at Jareid’s eyes and just knew that the prince was going to do whatever he had come to do, no matter who else was present.

 

Tygra didn’t want his little brother to be witness to his humiliation. Besides, there was no telling what Jareid would do to Lion-O if the youngest teen decided to put himself in the jaguar’s way. Tygra wasn’t going to risk his brother getting hurt over a lost cause. He tried to compose his voice, so it wouldn’t give away his fear when he talked to the lion.

 

“Lion-O, it’s late. Go to sleep.”

 

The young lion turned to look at him with recrimination. He held Tygra’s hand and shook his head stubbornly.

 

“No. I’m not leaving you.”

 

Jareid smirked in amusement. He approached the brothers confidently, his smirk widened at the obvious fear in his tiger’s eyes.

 

“I have no problem with the kit staying. If he behaves he’s more than welcome to watch.”

 

Tygra swallowed, and his hand rested for a moment on his brother’s shoulder blades, pushing slightly.

 

“No. Lion-O, please leave.”

 

He tried to sound firm, but couldn’t eradicate the desperation in his voice. Lion-O’s eyes widened upon noticing it, and glared at the jaguar. He was sure that the older cat was doing something to his brother, hurting him somehow. The young lion had seen the mark on his brother’s neck, but had not commented on it, seeing how embarrassed Tygra had been the entire day, to the point to stay in his room until he had had no other choice. The tiger was very active, and hated to be confined. Lion-O could clearly see that Tygra’s attempt to hide in his room had been all Jareid’s fault. He couldn’t leave his brother with the jaguar. He didn’t want to.

 

But Tygra insisted again, pushing Lion-O more firmly towards the door. His brother didn’t want him to witness whatever was about to happen, and the smirk in Jareid’s mouth didn’t promise anything good. Lion-O looked at his brother one more time, and Tygra mouthed a final please. The kit lowered his head, and against his better judgment, left the room. He glared at the jaguar’s back before crossing the threshold, but the cat never looked back at him, eyes now completely focused in the tiger.

 

Once he heard the door sliding open and close, and sure that his brother was no longer in the room, Tygra jumped away from Jareid’s reach. He went over the bed and stood at the other side, calculating his next move. He was not going within arms’ reach from the jaguar. He didn’t want the older cat’s paws over him. He knew he had little to no possibility of escaping, but he’d be damned if he didn’t even try.

 

Jareid looked at the younger prince in amusement, and his hearty laugh filled the room.

 

“So, my little tiger, want to play cat and mouse? You don’t have enough space to run.”

 

If he could reach the door, he’d have a possibility. He didn’t know the castle, but he could manage to find a place to hide. With that in mind, he darted to the left and dodged Jareid’s attempt at grabbing him, using the room’s furniture as obstacles between the two of them. He was close to make it. Tygra was very agile and he was counting on that to avoid capture. He only needed to keep what little advantage he had on Jareid until he could get past the door.

 

Unfortunately, he wasn’t familiar with the jaguar’s speed. Jareid was fast, and agile too. He caught Tygra’s arm just seconds before the teen touched the commands of the door, and pulled. Tygra yelped and hit the floor with force. He tried to stand up quickly, ignoring the pain, but Jareid was already over him. The jaguar’s entire body pined his smaller form to the floor, face down, giving him no space to move. Big paws grabbed his wrists and pulled them forcibly behind his back, a knee pressed down his tailbone as Jareid repositioned himself, and Tygra couldn’t suppress a distressed cry at the pain.

 

Jareid moved quickly. With only one hand he secured Tygra’s wrists to the teen’s lower back, the other grabbed the slender neck and pushed it against the floor. The knee at Tygra’s tailbone stayed there, and he stabilized himself with his other knee firmly on the floor. The tiger attempted to fight his hold, trying to get leverage with his legs. Jareid’s claws sunk into the teen’s neck and he moved his knee in such a way that he nearly crushed the tiger’s tailbone, eliciting another anguished cry from his victim. Tygra stopped moving, but remained tense. Jareid continued moving his knee, putting most of his weight on it, until Tygra finally screamed in pain.

 

“OW! Please! Please stop! Ow!”

 

Jareid smirked in triumph. He put his entire weight on Tygra’s body for good measure, and then stood, pulling the tiger with him. He reasserted his hold, freeing the teen’s wrists, while with his arm he surrounded the slender body, trapping the tiger’s arms, and pulling the unresisting form against his own body. His left hand still grabbed the delicate neck, now from the front. He lifted Tygra from the floor quite a few centimetres in order to reach the stripped ears with his mouth.

 

“Not very nice of you, my tiger, to try to avoid me. But I always enjoy a bit of foreplay.”

 

He nibbled Tygra’s ear and kissed away a tear. Tygra tried to control his sobs and remain quiet, but when Jareid bit his neck again, precisely on his mark, he couldn’t stop a pained mewl. Suddenly, the jaguar’s hand released his neck and snaked into his pants. Tygra mewed a pitiful _no_ as Jareid took hold of his flaccid member and started to stimulate it. The tiger’s legs kicked wildly, wanting to free himself from the unwelcome touch. Jareid’s hand grabbed the teen’s testicles and squeezed just a little. Tygra froze. The hand began to move again, and in mere moments Tygra was starting to get hard.

 

He cried quietly while his body shook with unwanted pleasure. Jareid expertly worked him to his entire length, massaging his balls and stroking his shaft firmly. Whimpers of pleasure escaped him, and he had to do a conscious effort to stop himself from purring. He felt so helpless and useless at that moment. He couldn’t stop Jareid from doing anything he wanted. His only hope was that the elder prince grew tired of the game and left him alone. Jareid however, continued his assault, until Tygra’s entire body tensed and with a mixture of a sob and a low wail he came all over the jaguar’s hand.

 

Jareid smirked and pulled his hand out of the teen’s soiled pants.

 

“Tsk. Messy, messy.” He put his cum-covered hand in front of Tygra’s face. The tiger whimpered and tried to turn his head away. Jareid was having none of it.

 

“Come on little tiger. Lick your mess clean. Unless you want a certain little lion to get a taste of what he’s missing.”

 

Tygra recoiled. He shook his head in near panic.

 

“N-No. Don’t get Lion-O into this!”

 

“Then you know what to do little tiger.”

 

Tygra had no doubt that Jareid would do what he had said. So, he clenched his eyes shut and opened his mouth. His tongue tentatively started to lick his tormentor’s hand.

 

“Do a good job handsome. Your tongue needs the practice.”

 

Tygra wanted to puke. He managed to complete his task rather quickly, and earned a bite and lick on his neck for his efforts.

 

“Very good my little tiger. You’re learning.”

 

Jareid turned him around and kissed his mouth possessively. Tygra did an effort to just open his lips and not gag. The moment Jareid let him go, he collapsed on the floor, his legs just denied to support him. He was shaking, wondering what else Jareid would want to do to him.

 

The jaguar lifted his trembling body and carried him to the bed. Tygra couldn’t move. He felt like his extremities were numb. Jareid was over him and kissing his mouth again, nearly asphyxiating him. He finally let go and started sniffing the teen’s cheeks and neck.

 

“You taste and smell delicious my little tiger. I can’t wait to have you naked in my bed for the entire night.”

 

Hands were under his clothes, and Tygra held his breath. He started chanting a string of _Nos_ in his head. His sobs grew louder as he tried unsuccessfully to deny what was happening. After long moments of torture, Jareid’s breath was at his right ear.

 

“Soon, my prince. For now I’d be dreaming of you.”

 

A last kiss, and suddenly Jareid’s weight was gone. Tygra stayed still for a few confused seconds, barely registering the sound of the door. Then, he opened his eyes, wondering when exactly he had closed them, and looked cautiously around. He was alone.

 

He couldn’t stop his crying any longer. He curled on his side, and bit the pillow to muffle his scream. He was pathetic. He couldn’t even defend himself. How was he expecting to protect his little brother in that place? He was completely useless.

 

And he felt dirty.

 

Summoning his strength, he managed to overcome his fear-induced weakness and stood on shaky legs. He made his way to the bathroom. He needed to get rid of Jareid’s smell, among other things.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Lion-O waited outside of his brother’s room, pressing his ear against the door to try and hear something. The rooms however, were soundproof. The kit couldn’t hear anything. He passed back and fort on the corridor, unsure of how to proceed. He wanted to return to his brother’s side, but Tygra had _pleaded_ him to go away. He clearly had not wanted the lion there while Jareid was in the room.

 

After a while, he decided to go to his own room. He’d change into his pyjamas and pick a book. He was going to wait for the jaguar prince to get out of his brother’s room, and then he’d go back in. He needed to be sure that Tygra was fine. They were alone in that place, and they had to take care of each other. He couldn’t let his big brother to shoulder that weight all by himself.

 

&&&&&&

 

Despite his best efforts, Lion-O fell asleep curled over his book. He had been sitting on the floor at the entrance to his room, with the door just the barest bit open, so he could hear when Jareid would go. He had figured out how to work the commands of the door to his liking, and he felt very proud of it.

 

The cold from the artificial climate in the room, and the uncomfortable position he was in, woke him up some time in the night. He looked around confused and disoriented, and felt his cramped muscles protest the movement. He groaned in discomfort as he uncurled himself, and massaged his sore limbs. It was dark, but he could feel the breeze that entered the room through the slid open at the entrance. He wondered for a moment why he wasn’t in his bed, and then he remembered. His brother. He had to go to his brother.

 

Ignoring his stiff legs, he opened the door completely and walked towards Tygra’s room. He didn’t know how long he had slept, but everything was dark and quiet, so he supposed that it was very late, and Jareid should be gone by then.

 

He knocked before entering, hoping to listen to his brother’s annoyed voice at being perturbed. That would in a way reassure the kit that Tygra was unharmed. He waited for long minutes, but there was no sound from the other side of the room. Remembering belatedly that he wouldn’t be able to hear anything, even if Tygra had answered, he cautiously opened the door.

 

It was darker inside the room than in the hallway, but Lion-O could distinguish his brother’s silhouette on the bed. The tiger was sitting with his legs pulled against his chest, and his head on his crossed arms, much like Lion-O had been minutes ago. The kit wondered why his brother wasn’t lying down and closed the door. He walked quietly towards the bed, careful to not trip with anything. Even in the dark, the room gave the impression of being messy. A feeling of dread entered him. The room had been in perfect state when he had left.

 

The lion stood for a moment at the bedside, and called to his brother.

 

“Tygra?”

 

The tiger didn’t move. Lion-O was starting to really worry. He climbed on the bed and shook his brother’s shoulder.

 

Tygra bolted upright and scooted out of Lion-O’s reach. The lion listened to the rapid intakes of breath of his brother, and scowled. He wished he had turned on the lights.

 

“Tygra? Are you ok?”

 

The tiger recognized the voice of his brother, and shook his head to clear it. He had been having a very bad dream, and his muscles were resenting the position he had fallen asleep in.

 

“L-Lion-O? What are you doing here?” His voice sounded a bit raspy, but fortunately free of any hint of panic. Lion-O felt encouraged.

 

“I’m sorry, I woke up and couldn’t sleep again.”

 

His brother didn’t lie very well. Even in the dark, Tygra knew that the lion was there to check on him. He sighed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. The fur on his head still felt a bit damp but he was dry enough to get under the covers comfortably. He was starting to feel cold anyway.

 

“You were worried, weren’t you? Lion-O, I’m fine.”

 

The young lion shrugged and ducked his head. Tygra reached up to him and messed his mane.

 

“All right, you can stay. But don’t kick me in your sleep, ok?”

 

“I never kick!”

 

Both cats got under the covers, and Lion-O held on tightly to Tygra. The tiger let him, a rare occurrence by itself, but he was very put out by his current situation, and just needed to feel safe in some way.

 

He caressed his brother’s mane in a soothing motion, and felt as Lion-O’s breath became regular and quiet, the small arms around him loosened their tight hold as the lion fell asleep.

 

Tygra sighed. He had to be strong. His little brother needed him. He had to remain controlled, no matter what Jareid could do to him. He’d never let the jaguar touch Lion-O. And he wasn’t going to just submit at the older prince’s wishes. He was going to fight back. He was not a young kit anymore, and even when he was scared of Jareid he’d do his best to not collapse in desperation anymore. He just hoped he could actually live up to his own promises.

 

&&&&&&&

 

A week passed by relatively fast. Tygra and Lion-O started their lessons under one of the most prominent council members of the clan. Soon it was evident that politics and economy had no appeal for Lion-O. The young lion was instead pretty excited by the prospect of learning everything he could about technology, even if it was only history. After the first two days of lessons, their teacher could see that Tygra was by far a better student than Lion-O, at least in the subjects required to government. But instead of complaining to the king and comparing the lion to his brother every step of the way, like all their previous instructors had done, he suggested that Lion-O would be allowed to be instructed by one of their senior engineers, making relevance of the apparent affinity the boy had for mechanics. His suggestion was accepted, and Lion-O was introduced to maths, drawing, physics and geometry, all of them important to understand and learn Cybernetic and Design Engineering.

 

The lion was still required to learn the basics of politics and other theory based subjects, but the time devoted to them was drastically reduced. Likewise, he was not to be trained as a Hunter, or any kind of warrior. His training would be focused on hand-to-hand combat and shooting. There would be swordsmanship, but considerably less intensive. Tygra thought that it’d be too much for his brother, but the lion was over the moon. At the end of the week, the tiger could see that Lion-O was much happier studying, and talked animatedly about his lessons and praised his teacher, something that he never had done before, not even when the teacher had been Jaga himself.

 

For the first time, Tygra could see the restrictions that being the crown heir had put on his little brother. The young lion had been forcing himself to act as something he wasn’t to please their father. Always falling short when the court and people in general compared him to Tygra. Now, without such expectations placed on him, he was free to be whatever he wanted and no one would fault him for it.

 

The tiger was happy for his brother. He had something to look forward to, and he’d be able to get over the loss of their previous life at Thundera. Lion-O still missed the palace, and their father, but he had many distractions that were helping him to bear with the change.

 

Tygra was also taking advantage of the load of work he had to do. Between lessons and training there was little time to think about anything else. But now and then, his future mate intruded in his activities and forced him to remember.

 

He dreaded Jareid’s night visits. The jaguar never failed to appear in his room, and force him to endure the older cat’s touch and whatever sick sexual game of power Jareid was playing at. He was trying to be strong, and during the day he did his best to act as if nothing was happening, but at dinnertime he felt a ball of fear tightening in his stomach. Still, he kept quiet, because he knew that talking and attracting attention on the matter wouldn’t do him any good. No one was going to stop Jareid. He was his future mate, and as such he was expected to accept whatever treatment the jaguar wanted to give to him.

 

He’d have gone crazy if not for Bengali. The white tiger had provided a crying shoulder for him. He had listened to the youth’s rambling, and offered understanding, comfort, and whatever encouragement was appropriate under the circumstances. He had also helped the tiger with Lion-O. After what had happened the second night, Bengali had made sure to take the lion out of his brother’s room before Jareid arrived, and left him sleeping in his own bed. So far, Lion-O had waked up just one more time and gone to check on his brother. Tygra was grateful that the lion wasn’t witnessing the emotional mess Jareid was turning him into. In that aspect at least he felt that he had been successful.

 

But Lion-O was not blind. He didn’t know what was happening in his brother’s room at night, but knew that his brother was hurting in a way he couldn’t help with. He was not as innocent as to not know what a mating implied, and he had guessed that Tygra’s unusual lack of confidence had a lot to do with that. But he was under the belief that Jareid wasn’t allowed to actually touch his brother in any sexual way until they were officially mated. So, he was wracking his head, thinking about what could be going on. His entire experience with royalty were his father and his big brother, neither one would ever abuse their power, so it was hard for the lion to think that someone would.

 

Therefore, Lion-O tried to cheer up his brother talking about his lessons, and getting him to demonstrate some of his training with the Hunters. Tygra humoured him, but the lion could see the sadness in his brother’s eyes, sadness that transformed into fear whenever Jareid was within eyesight. And it was getting worse every day.

 

By the end of the week, Tygra was looking for an excuse to not be in his room at the usual hour. He didn’t want to face Jareid, and he felt ashamed of himself for it. Really, thinking it rationally, the minor injuries he had sustained had been a result of his fighting. If he could just swallow his pride, force himself to lie still, and just let the jaguar prince… use him… however he saw fit.

 

But that was the problem. He felt used. Like some pretty toy which only purpose was its owner’s amusement.

 

Tygra was very young. His limited sexual experience had certainly not included intercourse, much less a male companion, but he had heard and asked enough to know it hurt. And Jareid’s rough handling was only cementing that belief. He was scared. And on top of that he felt violated. He had had no illusions about any kind of caring from his future mate. After all, the only reason they were going to be mated was to honour a peace treaty between their kingdoms. He had known he’d be denied any possibility of a loving companion the moment king Baal had stated his request for peace. Still, some little bit of consideration for his person would have been welcome.

 

The tiger was upset, and bitter. He didn’t want to mate. He didn’t want to be there. He wanted to return home, but he knew that it’d never be possible. He wanted to escape his future somehow, specially that night.

 

He was terrified of the night.

 

As the evening progressed, Tygra couldn’t help but think about what could be in store for him in his room. The previous night had been horrible. The tiger took a hand to his neck, massaging his throat and jaw in remembered pain. Jareid had forced him to his knees, and had demanded a blowjob from him. He had never done that, and the moment he had had Jareid’s erection pressing on his lips, he had refused. Jareid had forced a ring gag into his mouth, giving him no choice but to keep it open, and had technically oral-raped him. Later, he had put Tygra on the bed, and had “returned the favour.” It could have felt good, if not for the fact that Tygra had been terrified, and still fighting to breath normally.

 

A few tears escaped Tygra’s eyes and the teen rubbed them off furiously. He wasn’t going to show his weakness to the rest of the world. He couldn’t bear that humiliation in addition to the many others that Jareid had been inflicting on him.

 

Bengali’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts for a moment.

 

“Prince Tygra. It’s time for dinner. You should be inside.”

 

The orange tiger sighed. He was still in the training courtyard, trying to drive himself into exhaustion so he would just _stop_ thinking. He didn’t want to enter the dinning hall. His day had been blessedly free of Jareid, and he wanted to stretch it for as long as he could.

 

“I’m not really hungry Ben. I’m staying here just a little bit longer.”

 

Bengali looked at him worriedly. He knew how hard it was for the teen to deal with prince Jareid. Besides, the jaguar wasn’t making it any easier with his attitude.

 

Bengali had tried to talk with the cat, but the last had refused to see reason and give the young tiger some space. He was acting as if Tygra was already his and completely used to him. He couldn’t see how much harm he was doing to the young cat. He insisted on treating the teen as he would an adult who enjoyed the same twisted games that him. He wasn’t taking into account that Tygra had barely left childhood, and was in no way emotionally equipped to deal with the trauma of losing his home while being subjected to Jareid’s demanding sexual needs.

 

Bengali wanted to hit his foolish prince on the head until he could make him understand that he couldn’t treat Tygra like an object. He was sure that the teen wasn’t telling him everything that Jareid did to him. For example, Tygra had not yet talked about the previous night, and he was evidently delaying going into the castle for as long as he could. On top of that, Bengali had caught on that the younger tiger scratched his arms, rather vigorously, at odd moments, apparently without noticing it. He had asked Lion-O if his brother had had that particular habit in Thundera, and the kit had answered in the negative. The white tiger was starting to get really worried. He would approach the king on the matter, because prince or no prince Jareid had no right to do just whatever he wanted to Tygra. The teen was to be his mate, not a pet or an exotic decoration!

 

Tygra noticed the older tiger’s reluctance to leave him alone, and sighed.

 

“I’m fine Ben. I’m not going to die of starvation because I missed a dinner. Please make sure that Lion-O goes to sleep?”

 

Even when Lion-O had his own personal guardian, Tygra felt much better knowing that the white tiger also looked out for his little brother. Xiao had other tasks around the palace, but apparently Bengali’s sole duty was to look after the Thunderian princes’ needs. The servant gave his own suffering sigh, and left after making Tygra promise that he’d not be out the entire night. The orange tiger looked at his new friend’s retreating back, knowing that the cat would come looking for him again if he wasn’t in his room at a decent hour.

 

Tygra sighed again and started going through the motions of defence and attack with a staff, which he had been previously practicing. He missed his whip. He was planning on asking his trainer if it could be considered an appropriate weapon for a Hunter.

 

He didn’t notice the pass of time. The lights on the courtyard turned on, so he continued to have good visibility, and the temperature didn’t drop drastically as it did at home. It wasn’t until the deep voice, of the very jaguar he didn’t want to see, interrupted him that he paused.

 

“A bit late for training, isn’t it little prince?”

 

Tygra turned around, staff up in a defensive position, to be face to face with Jareid. The cat was looking at him like he was considering eating him.

 

“You weren’t there for dinner.”

 

“Yeah, well, I’m not really hungry.”

 

“And you weren’t in your room.”

 

“I didn’t know I had a curfew.”

 

He didn’t put the staff down, not even when Jareid started to get closer to him. He gave a step back and growled, trying to maintain a safe distance between the two. Jareid eyed the staff and a devious smirk graced his face. Tygra gulped and backed another step.

 

“Good stance handsome. But do you really want to provoke me?”

 

No. He really didn’t want to. What he wanted was to drive the jaguar away. Stop him from touching him, from being even close to him. His blood was pumping in his temples and he couldn’t answer. A low growl vibrated in his chest, and Jareid’s eyes glowed.

 

“Put the weapon down little tiger, before you get hurt.”

 

That irked his pride. How dare the bastard! Tygra hissed in unconscious warning, feeling the fur on the back on his neck and arms rise. Jareid’s eyes hardened, and the inflection of his voice changed from patronizing to one of command.

 

“Come with me Tygra. Now.”

 

Tygra shook his head. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing. He only knew that in no way he was going anywhere with the jaguar willingly. At the moment, his fear and common sense had been drowned by pent up anger and adrenaline. He growled in challenge, and Jareid growled back. The big cat did the first move, trying to grab his staff. Tygra dodged cleanly, and attacked, immersed suddenly in the comfortable rhythm of a fight.

 

Jareid was surprised that the boy could move so well. He growled again and fell into fighting style. The tiger was getting under his skin. He had dared to actually deny him! Evidently he was in need of a lesson.

 

Tygra was able to stop the first few movements of his attacker. He was a good student, and he could have been a superb warrior. But he was just learning to handle the weapon he was using. Jareid quickly found an opening, and with a well placed kick to the teen’s ribs he sent him to crash on one of the weapon racks.

 

Tygra was disoriented for a moment. Then he caught sight of a training sword, and he took it. He pulled himself to his feet and reassumed his fighting stance, the more familiar weapon steady in his grip. He could do this. He had trained with Grune, for Jaga’s sake! The grizzled veteran had never been easy on his charges. He was ready for anything Jareid could throw at him.

 

Jareid lifted an eyebrow, a half-amused, half-annoyed expression on his face. The brat was still defying him? He had some guts.

 

The jaguar took a training sword himself, and charged. This time it was not as easy to get past Tygra’s guard. The boy knew how to use the sword, and met Jareid’s attack thrust by thrust. The older cat’s excitement grew and soon was using his entire force behind his attacks. He was the stronger of the two, but Tygra had his natural agility on his part. He was giving Jareid a run for his money, and actually managed to land a hit or two when the jaguar felt too cocky. But he was still too young to last long in a combat with an adult cat, even one that was not yet at his full growth. After some minutes of clashing swords full force with his opponent, his arms started to complain. Jareid didn’t allow him any respite. He continued pushing Tygra to his limits, driving the teen backwards, until he tripped with the discarded staff.

 

The tiger lost his balance momentarily, and Jareid took his chance to kick Tygra’s legs from under him, and send him to the floor. The teen tried to turn around and stand, but a hard blow to his right wrist made him scream and let go of the sword. Jareid took hold of his ankle and pulled, dragging him along the courtyard for a good five meters before grabbing the scruff of his neck and lifting him.

 

Before Tygra knew what was happening, he was thrown face down over a bench. His hands grabbed the end of the stone bench automatically to prevent himself from falling all the way to the floor again. Rough hands were on him and forced his pants down, then grabbed his hips and lifted his behind. Tygra barely had time to panic before pain coursed through him.

 

He screamed loudly as Jareid forced his entire length inside of him in two powerful thrusts. He half-heard the growl of triumph of the jaguar before the last started moving, driving his erection hard and fast into the teen’s body repeatedly.

 

Tygra opened his mouth in a silent scream. He couldn’t breath. Never before had he felt such pain. The smell of blood made him want to gag. He emitted a painful, distressed sound and bit his lower lip, holding onto the bench for dear life and hurting his claws in the process. Jareid doubled over and bit his neck possessively while increasing the rhythm and violence of his thrusts. A long wail escaped Tygra’s clenched mouth and he tasted blood from his pierced lip. Jareid was going to tear him apart from the inside out.

 

_‘Great Thunder, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts. Please, please make him stop, please…’_

 

He could only plead in his head, since he knew that his begging would fall in deaf ears. Tears were running freely down his cheeks, and his vision was starting to fade.

 

It was a lifetime until finally Jareid released deep within Tygra’s bowels. The young tiger didn’t even feel it. He was going numb from the waist down, which was probably the only relief he had. He could feel Jareid’s laboured breath right behind his ear.

 

“So tight… so delicious, my little tiger… next time, we could try to get to the bed.”

 

Tygra sunk his teeth in his own arm to prevent himself from screaming, as Jareid pulled out of him. The pain returned with a vengeance, and the teen’s sobs shook his entire body. He didn’t have the strength to put on a fight when Jareid lifted him and carried him inside the palace. His only act of resistance was to wriggle a little when he felt the jaguar’s arms around him. Jareid had to tighten his hold to remind him who was in charge, and Tygra stayed still the entire way to his room.

 

He remained passive as he was laid on the bed, and Jareid licked his neck and face. The jaguar had the decency to clean him and changed his clothes for pyjamas. Tygra never noticed. His mind had shut down, and had retreated into itself. He simply was not processing whatever was happening around him. He lay for long moments with his eyes open, but unseeing. Not even aware that he had been left alone.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid had been fairly impressed, if also more than a bit annoyed, at Tygra’s fighting skills. The boy had potential. Surely that was what his father had seen when he had proposed the tiger to be trained. He’d be a valuable part of their forces.

 

The jaguar had enjoyed winning, and much more the satisfying fuck after it. Granted, it was not how he had planned to take the boy for the first time. He had been actually thinking to let the tiger get used to his touch first, make it pleasurable for him. It had been partly Bengali’s idea. The white tiger had been insisting that he should be more considerate towards his young fiancé. Jareid had lost count of the times that Bengali had told him that a bit of tenderness was not going to kill him. Even when the jaguar really believed that such delicate treatment was ridiculous, -- they both were males for the gods’ sake -- he had accepted that Tygra was still a boy, and maybe would require some patience from him.

 

But the truth was that he had lost himself in the exhilaration of the fight. The little tiger was so enticing, full of anger and determination. Suddenly, it had become imperative for Jareid to state his dominance over the younger cat, to claim him as his. It had been purely instinctual, but nonetheless delicious. Tygra had been too tight around him, it had caused a bit of pain, but the pleasure had been worth it. He had been so focused on his own satisfaction that he hadn’t noticed he had hurt the boy. It wasn’t until he had lied Tygra down, and started to kiss and groom him, more than ready to have another go, that the smell of blood had registered in his brain. With it came the realization that the teen wasn’t moving. Tygra’s sobs were still shaking his torso once in a while, tears still ran down his cheeks, but he was unnaturally silent.

 

Curious, Jareid looked directly into the young tiger’s eyes. Brown, glazed eyes that were open, but definitely unseeing.

 

The jaguar checked his betrothed’s entire body. He had many bruises, caused by both the fight and Jareid taking him over a stone bench. The important injury though was internal. Tygra was bleeding, not exaggeratedly but still bleeding. Jareid frowned, unsure of how to proceed. Surely he had not hurt the teen that much?

 

He went to the bathroom, and procured himself a wet towel. Then, he got Tygra out of his clothes, and cleaned him thoroughly. The tiger still wouldn’t make a sound, or even move. Jareid took his time, debating if he should call Bengali. The white tiger would be able to tell him how badly was Tygra injured. Then he decided he’d wait ‘till morning. The bleeding had apparently stopped, and Tygra would have the night to rest and assess how much he was hurting afterwards. Jareid didn’t think it was serious. He felt that he had dealt enough with the young tiger to know that the boy wasn’t as delicate as Bengali believed. He’d cope with whatever pain Jareid had unwisely caused and move on.

 

One thing stood to his attention though. Tygra’s arms were significantly more bruised than the rest of him, and Jareid was sure that he had not caused the claw marks along the tiger’s slim arms. Perhaps that had been the one thing he had been careful about, he had consciously retracted his claws every time he grabbed the teen by the arms. The only places that should have Jareid’s claw marks were the boy’s neck and hips. And certainly not slashes, there should be only punctures. Additionally, there were some bites, one of them fresh. Tygra should have bit himself while Jareid was claiming him in order to keep silent. That led Jareid to believe that the claw marks had also been self-inflicted. He’d report that to Bengali.

 

For the moment, he redressed Tygra in a set of pyjamas, and tucked him comfortably in the covers. The boy’s eyes were still open, but he remained unresponsive. Jareid really didn’t know what to do about that, so he let the tiger be.

 

He kissed the youth’s head possessively before going.

 

“Get some sleep my little tiger. Tomorrow you’d feel much better.”

 

He got out of the room quietly, but he had just started his way to his own sleeping quarters when he found himself face to face with Bengali. The white tiger was apparently in his own quest to make sure that Tygra had returned to his room. Jareid gave him his cocky smile at once.

 

“Prince Jareid. I see you’re coming out from your betrothed’s bedroom.”

 

The tiger was scowling disapprovingly at him. The loyal servant had always made his displeasure at Jareid’s night activities clear. The jaguar rolled his eyes. How inappropriate could it be that he visited his fiancé? The boy was as good as mated to him anyway. Besides, the family had made sure to tell him that he should be spending quality time with the Thunderian prince. Granted, maybe his father had not had the kind of quality time that Jareid preferred in mind, but the message was in essence the same.

 

“Yes Bengali. Tygra is sleeping now, he needs the rest.”

 

Then he looked back at the teen’s door. Maybe it’d be wise to tell the white tiger. He was no healer, and really had no idea of the seriousness of Tygra’s injuries. He was sure it wasn’t life threatening, but perhaps an assessment by an expert would be best.

 

Bengali’s frown deepened. Was that worry in the prince’s face? That couldn’t be good. The next words uttered by the jaguar put the tiger more at edge.

 

“Listen, I do need you to check him out. First thing tomorrow. Just to make sure.”

 

“To make sure of what? What happened?” Bengali had a very bad feeling. Jareid looked embarrassed for a moment, and that alone was enough to send the tiger into near panic.

 

“I might just have miscalculated my own force. But I’m sure it’s nothing serious.”

 

Oh, dear celestial gods. That wasn’t something Bengali had wanted to hear. Now he was completely worried.

 

“Jareid, what did you do?”

 

The jaguar shrugged, and Bengali noticed that he was pointedly looking the other way.

 

“He was training, I dropped by. He challenged me. We fought. I won, and well, I couldn’t resist. I just had to claim him right there.”

 

Bengali was speechless. Tygra had been so not ready for that!

 

“You… You what? Jareid how could you?! I told you to slow down! Tygra was already scared enough, I told you to be more considerate!”

 

“Hey! I am within my rights to do whatever I want! He’s mine Bengali!”

 

“He’s not a bloody thing! Can’t you understand that? He was not ready! And I know you well enough to be sure that you hurt him badly!”

 

“I didn’t…! Look, I might have gotten carried away, but he’s not about to die! He’s not bleeding anymore!”

 

“Not blee…!? You self-righteous bastard!”

 

Bengali pushed Jareid out of the way and hurried to the younger prince’s room. As soon as he entered, he smelled the air. There was a slight odour of blood, barely distinguishable but still there. Bengali growled and approached the bed. Tygra was lying on his side, Bengali turned on the lights to see him better.

 

“Prince Tygra? Do you hear me? Tygra?”

 

The youth was not responding. Bengali checked his vitals quickly, and decided that Tygra was in shock. Not surprising. He couldn’t even imagine what could have happened. He put the covers to the side, and started a quick check up. A small dark spot on Tygra’s pyjama bottoms confirmed his suspicions that, in spite of Jareid’s assurances, the young cat was still bleeding. Thankfully it wasn’t a lot of blood, but he’d had to do a conscious check up to be sure.

 

First, he went to the bathroom to get the medicines, and other necessities that he had left there to help Tygra with his bruises. He’d need to disinfect the wounds and maybe give the teen a strong painkiller. Then he returned at the youth’s side, noticing that Jareid had entered the room, and was looking at the proceedings with interest and maybe just the slight hint of worry.

 

He moved Tygra’s body, so the teen was on his stomach, and pulled the bottoms down. Evidently, Jareid had taken the care to clean the young cat. That at least was something. Bengali pulled Tygra’s ass cheeks apart and began a very intimate examination.

 

There was more blood. The white tiger frowned, and cleaned Tygra as much as he could with a wet cloth. He’d need to feel. He opened a bottle of special ointment and coated his fingers in it. He had put that particular bottle in the bathroom hoping against hope that he’d never get to use it. He shook his head and sighed, carefully inserting a finger inside the boy. Tygra whimpered quietly, but remained still. Bengali inserted another finger, trying to get into the youth’s channel as much ointment as possible. He moved his digits around, feeling, and not liking it at all. Tygra started to sob, and new tears filled his eyes. After a few moments, Bengali retired his fingers and covered Tygra with his pyjamas again. With a serious face, he stood up and started to lift the teen. Jareid almost jumped on him.

 

“Wait, Bengali. What are you doing?”

 

“He needs stitches. I can’t tend to him here. I’m taking him to the healing wing.”

 

“Stitches? Are you serious?”

 

If Bengali didn’t know better he’d say that his prince was afraid. He huffed at the other cat while he secured Tygra in his arms.

 

“Yes Jareid, stitches. The wounds you inflicted are in fact that severe, and it’s going to be very painful for him for the next couple of days.”

 

Jareid felt the blood draining from his face. He’d never thought he could have hurt his young tiger that seriously. Bengali gave a couple of steps in the door’s direction, and Jareid intercepted him.

 

“Give him to me. I’ll carry him.”

 

Bengali steeped back, and almost growled. He stopped himself in time, and contented himself with glaring at the jaguar.

 

“No Jareid. I think you’d done enough. He needs to recover. And it’d be better if you’re not around for him to do it.”

 

He sidestepped the baffled jaguar, and took Tygra out of the room. Jareid looked in concern at the retreating form, feeling for the first time in years ashamed of himself.

 


	3. Picking Up The Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aftermath of an attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

Tygra woke to the smell of medicine and antiseptic. He blinked, trying to shake sleep off his eyes. Wherever he was, it wasn’t his room. The faint smell of sex that seemed to permeate his bedroom was noticeably absent, and it was much warmer. He savoured the different air for short moments before starting to worry about why exactly he wasn’t in his quarters. He pushed himself up to better inspect where he was, and pain in his lower regions made him gasp. He groaned as he lay down again. It seemed as if every one of his muscles was in pain. It forced him to remember what had happened.

 

The horror of the situation fell down on him. Tygra closed his eyes and felt tears starting to form. He turned on his side. The constant pain in his behind guaranteed that he couldn’t just close himself to the world and ignore what had happened. He vaguely realized that he must be in the healer wing, with the shamans. He had learned that the shamans were pretty much the equivalent to the clerics. Mages and healers all in one. He must have been badly injured for Jareid to not just leave him where he had been. Or maybe the jaguar had, and some other cat had found him.

 

Sadness was suddenly overcome by deep embarrassment, and Tygra sobbed in misery. How many people had realized? At the very least the shamans would now be aware of the dynamics between him and the jaguar prince. Tygra shuddered to think about what would be said about him. Whatever semblance of privacy that he had wanted to retain would be gone.

 

He heard a door opening and braced himself to face whoever was going to check on him. He hadn’t been expecting the familiar voice of Bengali, but that was exactly what he got.

 

“Prince Tygra? Are you awake?”

 

The tiger looked up in surprise at the servant. He was at a loss of words for some seconds, before relief at not been facing a complete stranger settled in. Though shame at his situation immediately followed.

 

“B-Ben.”

 

The white tiger smiled at him.

 

“Good to see you are responsive. How are you feeling?”

 

That did it. Tygra knew that Bengali was aware of his injuries, and likely of the way they were inflicted. He dropped his head and tried unsuccessfully to stop the tears that ran freely down his cheeks. Bengali’s arms were around him in an instant, and he sobbed in misery. The older tiger hugged him tightly and manoeuvred a little to get him as comfortable as possible. The movement hurt. Tygra whimpered and clenched his fists. Some part of his mind was screaming at him for showing weakness, but he shut it up. He didn’t care anymore. He wasn’t strong enough to deny himself the small comfort of kind arms. He’d feel ashamed later, but for the moment he allowed Bengali to hold him as he cried his eyes out.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra looked morosely at the ample green and flowery space some meters below him. His room had a balcony, large enough for a small, square, table and two chairs, and there was still space for him to walk around. It was two stories above one of the gardens. A big one. It was the most exuberant garden Tygra had seen, not only because he didn’t know half of the plants growing in it, but also because the paths, columns, fountains, benches and everything else adorning it were made of rare and precious stones. At least that was what they looked like from the balcony. Tygra had not yet worked up the courage to ask, and seeing that for all intents and purposes he was confined to his room for the foreseeable future, he wasn’t in the position to go and investigate himself.

 

He sighed dejectedly. He could hear faint noises from the training courtyard. He wished he could go and join the activity. It had only been a day and a half, and he was already sick of his room. He looked at the table where he had been writing his homework. The books and notes could only distract him for some hours. He wanted to go outside. He looked forwards again and leaned on the balcony railing. Beyond the garden he could see the wall and the outline of the jungle that surrounded the city.

 

It had been a bit unsettling to discover that they were actually in the heart of the biggest jungle of Third Earth, quite isolated from the rest of the world. The Kaanuk jungle, he thought, it was called. Nevertheless, the jaguars had plenty of contact with other animals and settlements, thanks to their technology, besides not being the only sentient species that inhabited the monstrous jungle. The tiger was wondering why Thundera never knew about such a thing. Why had he grown up thinking that technology was a fairy tale?

 

He continued looking at the green landscape. He was dying of boredom. He thought that forbidding him from doing any activity that required strength was a bit exaggerated, but the healer’s directions were clear. He had to take it easy for some days, and the peaks of pain that he still felt whenever he did certain forced movements were a constant reminder of his injury. He couldn’t sit comfortably, and he couldn’t bear the bed for so long. His diet was another thing he resented. He was limited to soft meals and absolutely no solids for at least a week.

 

Stitches. He had needed stitches! How such a thing had been possible? He absolutely didn’t want to know how Bengali had managed to tend his wounds. He didn’t even know if he was grateful or horrified beyond belief that it had been the white tiger the one to heal him. He wished he had discovered that Bengali was a Shaman in other circumstances. Now he could barely look at the white tiger without feeling embarrassment creeping along his entire being. And the worst part was that he had to apply medicinal ointment every night! Tygra couldn’t feel more humiliated.

 

He knew that Bengali understood, and didn’t blame him, and he didn’t want to push the older tiger away, but he couldn’t help it. The only consolation he had was that Lion-O hadn’t realized what had happened to him. His little brother knew he had been hurt, but not how.

 

He sighed, and his right hand moved unconsciously to his left arm, trying to scratch it. His claws however didn’t find fur, but the heavy bandages that Bengali had all but forced on him to prevent any more scratching. Tygra groaned in frustration. The bandages covered both arms from shoulders to wrists. Bengali would have even bandaged his hands if he had discovered any self-inflicted claw marks on them. Tygra was very tempted to bite his fingers, but he’d rather retain freedom of movement on his hands. At least the bandages had drawn Lion-O’s focus on his brother’s visible wounds, and he hadn’t asked too much questions, but they denied Tygra an outlet for the anxious feeling that was drowning him.

 

He settled for pinching his thigh. Hard. It was not the same, but he could just focus on that particular pain and stop thinking about everything else for some precious moments.

 

“You shouldn’t do that. Bengali is going to have a fit if he discovers you.”

 

Tygra almost jumped from the balcony. He turned around wildly and backed off until he was at the very corner of it. The balustrade pressed hard on his hips and he suppressed the need to climb it. He looked at Jareid in fear and bit his lower lip to prevent himself from screaming. He hadn’t even heard the door opening. Jareid wasn’t supposed to be there! Jareid was never in his room before late evening. Bengali had promised that Jareid had been told to leave him alone for some days, to allow him to recover.

 

He felt his body began to shake uncontrollably when the jaguar prince advanced two steps towards him. His eyes looked for a way to escape, and he suppressed a flinch when the jaguar scowled at him.

 

Jareid stopped his advance and growled under his breath. He was not sure what he had been expecting, but the abject terror on the young tiger’s face was definitely not it. He clenched his fists, angry with himself for not knowing what to do. Bengali had told him to give Tygra some time, but it was ridiculous. He knew he had hurt the boy, but he wasn’t going to fix the situation by disappearing! They were going to spend a lifetime together. The sooner they solved the issue, the better.

 

He crossed his arms and tried to modulate his voice, not actually realizing how intimidating he looked. He stood a few steps from the teen, blocking the way to the room, but not within grabbing distance. He expected Tygra to realize that he wasn’t in danger. He wasn’t counting on the boy not thinking rationally in his presence.

 

“Tygra, I only want to make sure that you are healing.”

 

_‘Yes, so you can hurt me again!’_ Tygra closed his eyes and bit his lips harder. He was trying to be quiet, to not do anything that could anger the jaguar. Jareid wasn’t aware of the teen’s struggle, and he didn’t like Tygra’s apparent denial to answer him. He couldn’t suppress the menacing growl this time.

 

“Answer me, Tygra.”

 

Tygra whimpered in fear. He couldn’t talk. If he opened his mouth he was going to either cry or scream. Neither was going to be an acceptable answer, and Jareid was only going to get angrier. He dropped his head and exposed his neck a bit, so Jareid’s mark was clearly visible. Short of falling to his knees, he didn’t know what else to do to show submission to Jareid.

 

The jaguar finally realized that Tygra was not being stubborn. The teen was just scared shitless of him.

 

Normally that was a welcome reaction from others. Jareid had always delighted in the feeling of power that came with the knowledge that his mere presence could provoke such fear. But not this time, and certainly not from someone who was supposed to become his mate. It didn’t feel right.

 

He let his arms fall to his sides and relaxed his posture. His voice had always been too rough, but he tried to soften his tone. He wanted the tiger to relax, not jump over the railing.

 

“Tygra, I’m not here to hurt you. Look at me.”

 

The tiger opened his eyes and lifted his head cautiously. He was still trembling, and wanted nothing more than to run away. Jareid couldn’t erase the scowl from his face.

 

“Tygra…”

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

Tygra’s eyes widened in renewed anxiousness. Lion-O was at the door of the balcony, just behind Jareid. The jaguar turned his head towards the intruder, but he didn’t miss the tiger’s reaction. Lion-O was puffing indignantly.

 

“You have no right to be here!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Lion-O!”

 

Tygra’s anxious shout made Jareid turn to him again. The young lion thought that the jaguar was too close to Tygra, and quickly put himself between Jareid and his brother, glaring at the older cat. Jareid lifted an eyebrow at the little lion’s defiant stance. Tygra was doing a visible effort to collect himself. He didn’t want his little brother to get hurt on his behalf. Lion-O growled at Jareid and resisted Tygra’s pull, when the tiger tried to get him out of the jaguar’s way. He was determined to have his say.

 

“You have no business here! You leave my brother alone!”

 

“Lion-O, please stop!”

 

Tygra pulled on his brother’s shoulder, and the lion turned to look at him.

 

“He can’t be here! Bengali said you have to rest!”

 

Tygra swallowed the sob that was forming in his throat. He needed to get his brother under control.

 

“He can do whatever he pleases Lion-O. It’s his home.”

 

“But he hurt you! He can’t do that! He has no right to hurt you!”

 

Tygra pressed his lips together. He had thought that Lion-O didn’t know about the nature of his wounds, but maybe he had been mistaken.

 

“Who told you that? I could have had an accident.”

 

Lion-O looked at him with a face that clearly said. _‘Please, do I look stupid?’_

 

“You? Yeah, maybe when lizards grow feathers. I know it was him, Tygra. It shows in your eyes every time you see him!”

 

Tygra paled. Damn, but Lion-O had to be observant now? The lion continued his tirade.

 

“And he can’t be here if you don’t want him to. You’re going to be his mate. He has to respect you!”

 

The tiger was gaping at his brother. All of a sudden he had the very unwelcome feeling that the lion was the big brother there. He tried to think of something to say, but he noticed Jareid getting closer to them, and he straightened in panic. He pulled Lion-O against himself and hugged him tightly, trying to shield him from the jaguar.

 

Jareid looked at the lion with some amusement, and then fixed Tygra with serious eyes. The tiger gulped and opened his mouth, ready to plead on his brother’s behalf. Jareid took his chin and put a finger on his lips. Tygra automatically froze and tightened his hold on his brother, who was fighting to free himself.

 

“He’d have made a good king. Pity.”

 

Tygra held his breath. He had no idea what to do. He prayed that Jareid wouldn’t decide to have his way with him in front of Lion-O. He whimpered when the jaguar leaned on him, and unconsciously pressed Lion-O’s head against his chest. A lone tear fell from his terrified eyes. Jareid sighed. They were practically face-to-face.

 

“And he’s right. You’re going to be my mate.”

 

He kissed Tygra’s lips softly and then backed off. He couldn’t help a smirk at the tiger’s baffled face.

 

“I’d see you later little tiger.”

 

He left the two brothers alone. He needed to think. He had just realized that he didn’t want Tygra scared of him. In fact, for the first time ever he was actually interested in whether or not his partner enjoyed being with him. He found that he very much wanted Tygra to feel pleasure with him. Now he just had to think what to do about it.

 

Tygra looked at the retreating form of Jareid and held his breath for a few moments. He strained his ears to catch the faint noise of the room’s door. He continued holding his brother like he was a lifeline until the young lion squirmed.

 

“Tygra! I have to breath!”

 

The tiger jumped and released his brother immediately. He looked sheepishly at the scowling lion, and tried to apologize.

 

“Sorry. I-I… ‘m not feeling very well.”

 

His hands were still shaking. He clenched them into fists in an effort to make them stop. Lion-O’s scowl changed to a look of worry.

 

“I know you’re not ok. You haven’t been yourself since we arrived here.”

 

He took one of his brother’s wrists and frowned at the bandages. Then he looked into Tygra’s eyes.

 

“What is he doing to you Tygra?”

 

Tygra took a deep breath. His heart was about to jump out of his chest. He couldn’t answer. There was no way in hell that he’d tell Lion-O the things Jareid was doing to him. He covered his mouth with his right hand, afraid that he’d explode in hysterical laughter. It was that, or cry just as hysterically. He shook his head and did a great effort to collect himself enough to talk.

 

“L-Look Lion-O, it’s ok. There’s no need for you to worry…”

 

“Don’t give me that shit Tygra! You’re ready to fall apart and it’s obvious that you need help! Whatever he’s doing to you, it’s destroying you! Please, just talk to me Tygra. Let me help you.”

 

“I-I…”

 

A sob escaped his chest, and Tygra broke. The tears started running down his face, and he couldn’t stop them. He sobbed again and sat on the floor, covering his face and trying to curl into himself. Lion-O was at his side in an instant. He felt the small arms of his brother hugging his shoulders and he cried harder. He ignored the pain on his behind as much as he could. It was not important at the moment. He only wanted to die. It wasn’t fair. Why it had to be him?

 

He would have continued crying for hours if not for Lion-O. His brother’s presence forced Tygra to try to regain control of himself. He couldn’t let Lion-O think he was weak. He had to protect his little brother. He had to be strong. He couldn’t be crying like a cub. That was not going to solve anything.

 

After some moments, he was able to calm down a bit and he straightened his back. Lion-O changed position, so instead of hugging his shoulders awkwardly the lion hugged his torso and put the head over his chest. Tygra leaned on a banister and returned the hug. He continued sobbing for a while until he was capable to talk again.

 

“S-sorry… It was… too much all of a sudden…”

 

“It’s ok Tygra. I’m here with you brother. I’m not going to leave you alone.”

 

A self-deprecating smile ghosted over Tygra’s lips. He played with his brother’s mane, waiting for the last of his sobs to recede.

 

“I… I’m supposed to be the oldest… I’m supposed to protect you…”

 

“I need you Tygra, but that doesn’t mean that you always have to be strong. I’m here for you too, you know? We can protect each other, no one expects you to do everything alone, or to suffer in silence. I don’t want you to be miserable.”

 

Tygra chuckled and tightened his hug just for a moment. He wanted to stay like that forever, but his ass was killing him. He needed to get up.

 

With a heavy sigh he messed his brother’s mane and released him.

 

“Thanks Lion-O. I’m sorry I’m a mess right now.”

 

“No problem. As long as you let me help.”

 

The tiger smiled and stood up with some difficulty. He grimaced and couldn’t help but groan in pain. He was not supposed to feel his insides. Lion-O’s worried scowl reappeared.

 

“Tygra, are you hurt? What is it?”

 

The tiger bit his lip for a moment. Then he breathed deeply and straightened.

 

“It’s ok. I think my muscles are cramped.”

 

His lower back was screaming at him. He massaged it and managed to walk normally towards the table. Lion-O still looked suspiciously at him while he collected his work, but after some moments the young lion just offered to help him with his books. Both of them got inside the room, ready to have lunch, Lion-O more at ease about his brother, and Tygra feeling like a small weight had lifted from his heart.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra looked anxiously as Bengali prepared the tub for a lavish bath. It was late evening, and it had been suggested that Tygra needed something to soothe his pained muscles. He wanted to tell the other tiger to stop, that he didn’t want anything. He was even scratching his bandages in the hopes that Bengali realized what a bad idea it was.

 

Granted, it wasn’t the bath what he was protesting against. The idea of a long, relaxing time, was wonderful, and the water was hot and smelt delicious. Tygra was all for the bath, but he wanted to enjoy it alone. As it was, the idea had actually been Jareid’s, and the jaguar expected Tygra to share the bath with him!

 

Tygra didn’t want Jareid close to him, much less to be in a tub with a naked jaguar prince! It was not going to be relaxing at all. It was going to be hell!

 

Bengali finished adding mineral salts into the water and turned on the tub mechanism that’d keep it at a proper temperature. Then he turned to look at the tiger, and scowled in worry. Tygra was terrified, that much was evident. Bengali would have liked to convince Jareid to take a different approach, but alas, his prince just couldn’t do subtle, and he had very little patience as it was. The fact that Jareid was actually trying to do something nice for Tygra was remarkable. Bengali would have approved wholeheartedly if not for the timing. Jareid surely chose the worst possible moment to be romantic. Why couldn’t he do something like this from the beginning instead of acting like his usual self-righteous asshole? Things would have been much easier if Jareid had just the slightest amount of sensibility in him. He wouldn’t have needed to injure Tygra to get into his thick skull that he was doing things the wrong way!

 

Even at the moment, Bengali still had his doubts about the sincerity of Jareid’s suggestion. He rather thought that the Queen had forced her son’s hand. He knew that Xilara had talked to Jareid and had been sure to instil in the prince’s mind how disappointed she had been at his behaviour. Jareid held his mother’s opinion in high respect, so his sudden try at show caring for his intended could be only to placate the Queen.

 

Nevertheless, Bengali was willing to take Jareid’s new attitude at face value for Tygra’s sake. The young tiger had no choice in the mater. He was going to spend his entire life mated to Jareid, whether he liked it or not. If Jareid was willing to try and make things easier for Tygra, then Bengali was not going to discourage him.

 

It was going to be harder to gain Tygra’s trust now, but Bengali hoped that his prince’s change of heart was genuine. Jareid was going to need every bit of charisma and whatever patience he could manage to get Tygra at least comfortable in his presence.

 

Bengali approached the orange tiger, who was tearing his arm’s bandages to shreds, and held him by his forearms to make him stop.

 

“Tygra, try to calm down. You’re going to be fine.”

 

The teen looked at him with eyes bright from unshed tears. He was trembling. His voice sounded afraid and subjugated.

 

“Ben, please I don’t want to do this.”

 

Bengali groaned to himself and closed his eyes. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t do anything to help his young charge. He had sworn loyalty to Baal and his kingdom when he had begun his apprenticeship. He couldn’t disobey a direct order, and Baal had ordered him to follow Jareid’s directions in everything regarding the Thunderian princes. He could only refuse Jareid if Tygra’s or Lion-O’s lives were compromised.

 

Now, while he could clearly see that the young tiger was just a step from being suicidal, Jareid was not directly threatening his life. The jaguar just lacked empathy and common sense. What he had done to Tygra had not been intended to kill the boy, but he had severely hurt him. Since the greater damage had been emotional, Baal didn’t consider it worthy of notice. Baal could be very cold himself, and he’d said that Jareid could do whatever he wanted as far as it didn’t infringe the terms of the treaty. Tygra was trapped into an agreement that didn’t take his emotional needs into account, and he had no way out. The only thing Bengali could do for him was offer support.

 

He took the young hands in his, and squeezed comfortingly. He couldn’t suppress a sigh.

 

“I’m sorry Tygra. I know it’s hard and unfair to you. Any other would have been able to walk away and be done with the prince. But you don’t have that option. You have to stay.”

 

Tygra sobbed and his body shook. He knew it was true. His freedom had been the price to pay for the lives of hundreds of people. Bengali swallowed the bile in his throat. It was not fair for him to remind Tygra of his position, but he didn’t know what else he could do to give the young tiger the will to be strong.

 

“You can try and see it as your duty to your people. To your father, and brother.”

 

The teen sniffed and a lone tear escaped his eye. He nodded resentfully.

 

“I… know I have to… I know that there’s no choice for me, it’s just… I-I… I’m just scared… The way he is, the way he… uses me… I-I don’t know how to cope with it! He makes me feel like a cheap whore! I just wanted to make him stop, to show him that I’m not a toy! I just wanted to not feel so useless… so helpless…”

 

A few more tears leaked from the youth’s eyes. Bengali dried them and hugged Tygra tightly. He knew it was too much for the young cat. Having to deal with Jareid was no easy feat. The jaguar prince was known for abusing his bed partners. He never showed consideration for the other’s feelings.

 

That was the main reason why, despite being the heir, Jareid had never maintained a serious relationship before. Even the most ambitious cats, both males and females alike, didn’t last more than a few nights with him. There were a few exceptions, one or two of the nobles that believed to be Jareid’s favourites because they were willing to share his bed whenever he called on them. Bengali pitied them. They weren’t capable to realize that the prince only used them to satisfy his urges when he couldn’t find anyone else. There simply was no one willing to put up with him on a regular basis. Tygra would have no choice. He’d have to take Jareid’s abuse and somehow learn to live with it.

 

“I know you’re afraid, and I don’t blame you. I know that Jareid is hardly mate-material, but unfortunately he’s all you got. You’re going to share your life with him. It’s not going to be easy, but it doesn’t have to be painful either. I know it’s unfair to ask this of you, you’re still too young and shouldn’t be saddled with this responsibility, but real life is hardly fair and we must make the best of it.”

 

He held Tygra’s face in a way that the younger tiger was looking directly at him. He looked calmer, but still anguished.

 

“Right now you only have two options Tygra. To live in misery for the rest of your life, or adapt and try to find some happiness despite what life has thrown at you. Jareid is very much an insensible asshole, but from time to time he has moments when he could be an admirable cat. He’s not really good with emotions and feelings; he’s more the instinctual type. He can be violent, but he can also learn different ways to deal with his frustrations.”

 

Tygra bit his lower lip and looked resigned. Bengali didn’t want the teen to be distraught, and he certainly didn’t want him to be miserable. Jareid had done a lot of damage, and they had to repair it somehow or they’d lose the young tiger.

 

“Look, I know that Jareid hasn’t given you any reason to have faith in him, or to even want him around you, but I think he’s beginning to understand. This…” He pointed to the bath, that was still hot and smelling of lavender and tea leaves. “He’s actually trying to make things better.”

 

Tygra sighed, and Bengali hugged him again.

 

“I know it’s too little, too late. But, just try to give it a chance. Jareid’s patience is short, and he’d never have attempted to really court someone. He doesn’t know how to be friendly, or mindful of other’s feelings. The fact that he’s doing something like this, that he’s willing to take the time to think of something that would be nice for you, believe me, it shows that he’s trying to make it up to you.”

 

Tygra looked at the carefully prepared bath and suppressed a last sob. He’d have to live with Jareid anyway, and Bengali was right. He’d better try to get used to his mate’s ways, or his life was going to be an endless nightmare.

 

He pressed his lips nervously and nodded. He was going to try. It was that or kill himself, and he still wasn’t that far gone into desperation.

 

Bengali gave him a last hug, and told him to get ready. The white tiger handed him a green fluffy bathrobe and put towels and other necessities at hand.

 

Tygra was just taking off his shirt when the door opened and Jareid made his entrance.

 

“Well, are you ready yet my little tiger?”

 

Just hearing his voice made Tygra’s fur stand on end. He put his shirt on again, trying to cover himself as much as possible, and automatically looked for a place to hide. Bengali sighed and one of his arms went around the teen’s shoulders.

 

“Breath. Try to be calm, ok? He’s not going to hurt you.”

 

Tygra nodded, but he was still trembling. Bengali messed his short mane and then turned to confront Jareid. The jaguar prince was already dressed in his deep blue bathrobe. He gave the white tiger an amused look, and Bengali wanted to punch him.

 

“My prince, may I have a word with you. We can give Tygra time to compose himself.”

 

Jareid looked at the orange tiger with just the slightest hint of worry. Bengali found that rather encouraging and ushered the prince into the walk-in closet that connected the bathroom with Tygra’s bedroom. Once there, it was surprisingly Jareid the one to talk.

 

“Is he all right? He’s not in pain, is he?”

 

Bengali looked suspiciously at his prince. It wasn’t like Jareid to show concern for anyone. He answered cautiously.

 

“He’s as fine as he could be, given the circumstances.”

 

Jareid noticed the tone in the tiger’s voice, and turned to him with a raised eyebrow.

 

“What?”

 

“I just want to make sure that you’re yourself highness.”

 

The jaguar scowled and put his clenched hands on his hips. He showed his teeth at Bengali when he talked.

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Ah, that’s you right on. For a moment there I was concerned.”

 

Jareid looked at the tiger as if he was seriously considering having the shaman’s head checked up. Which was funny, since it was not Bengali the one acting out of character. The white tiger shook his head and got into business.

 

“Nevermind. Look, Tygra’s wound is healing, but he can’t do anything strenuous, and I mean anything Jareid! You promised you wouldn’t do anything other than to bath. That means you can’t have any kind of sexual activity with him.”

 

“Come on Bengali, nothing? Are you sure you are not exaggerating?”

 

“No, I’m not! It’s not only physical health Jareid, he is hovering between depression and hysteria, and his mind is not going to take any more abuse. Unless you want a detached, empty shell for a mate, I suggest you find another way to satisfy your urges for now and don’t touch Tygra! Give him some time to recover, he needs to feel that he’s not in imminent danger when you’re around.”

 

“Imminent danger? I’m not going to kill him for the spirits’ sake!”

 

“Yeah, well your actions weren’t at all suggesting safety for him! He had never before had a male sexual partner, he had barely any sexual experience at all! He was terrified because he didn’t really know what to expect, and then you came and…!”

 

“Fine, fine, I get it. I didn’t exactly facilitate things. I’m trying to make it better, ok? I swear I’m not going to jump him. He’s not going to get anything hurt.”

 

“You better. He’s scared enough as it is. He doesn’t need another injury, or any more stress.”

 

“I’m going to be careful, I swear. No playing rough tonight. Stop worrying so much. You’re not his mother.”

 

“He needs someone to worry. He’s not an adult yet.”

 

Jareid chuckled and shook his head. Bengali was like a mother hen, and he had taken a liking to the brothers. In some level, it was logical that he was worrying about Tygra; after all they both were tigers, as far as Jareid knew the only survivors of a lost clan. They’d be considered kin by all instances.

 

“Fine, you want to worry yourself sick, it’s ok with me. As long as you don’t interfere.”

 

“I’d like to. Specially after what you did.”

 

Jareid growled in warning. He didn’t like to be reminded of his mistakes, and Bengali was very close to overstepping his limits.

 

“Is that a challenge Ben?”

 

“No such thing. I’m only making sure you don’t forget.”

 

“He’s mine! What I do or stop doing only concerns me and my mate!”

 

“He’s not your mate yet. And you’d do well to not take him for granted. He’s not a thing you can break and mend whenever you want Jareid, and he feels like that is how you see him.”

 

The jaguar scowled at that. It was true that he usually treated people like things. He didn’t see much use in establish any kind of relation with anyone. For every single cat in the city he was the heir, and consequently they treated him like someone beyond their standing. He had been basically taught that everyone not of the royal family was there to serve him. They were inferior so he didn’t see why he should care about them. No one deserved his affection, and certainly no one but his family deserved his respect. Bengali had always been the sole exception. The white tiger was a very special case, and the only one that Jareid considered a friend.

 

He looked at the bathroom door with a pensive expression. Tygra wasn’t like the other cats. He was Jareid’s mate. The jaguar wanted him with a passion bordering on obsession. He wanted the fire and energy that he had seen the day of their fight. That vibrant fire that had pushed him over the edge and forced him to claim the young tiger. He agreed with Bengali, Tygra was not a thing, but nevertheless he was still Jareid’s.

 

The jaguar nodded to himself, and started towards the bathroom.

 

“I’d keep that in mind. You can go now Ben.”

 

A hand stopped him. He turned to see Bengali. Blue wide eyes, still full of worry looked back at him.

 

“Jareid…”

 

“He’s safe with me, I promise. I do learn from my mistakes, you know?”

 

He smirked, and Bengali rolled his eyes. The shaman let go of his prince’s arm and looked as the jaguar crossed the bathroom door, praying that he’d stick to his word and wouldn’t hurt the young tiger anymore.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was sitting on the toilet seat, looking at the floor. He had taken off his clothes and put on the bathrobe. His hands clenched and unclenched nervously around the fabric, and from time to time pulled the bathrobe more tightly around himself.

 

He could listen the other cats’ voices from beyond the door, but he wasn’t really paying attention to what they were saying. He was trying to focus on his breathing and calm himself. It was hard, seeing as everything he could think about was how much he didn’t want to get into the bathtub with Jareid. The thing was dug into the floor, with deep blue tiles adorning the perimeter. It was big enough for two people, but they’d have to be in very close proximity. It was going to be impossible to entirely avoid contact. Tygra was praying that the jaguar would change his mind and leave.

 

After long minutes of waiting, the door finally opened, and Jareid came in. Tygra gulped and forced himself to stand up. He felt his entire body trembling, and did a last effort to collect himself. He was doing this for his city. For his brother. It was his duty, and he was going to honour his father’s agreement.

 

He didn’t look up. He was afraid that he’d lose the little resolve he’d managed the moment he’d see Jareid. He felt the jaguar approaching him, and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to make the bathrobe cover him entirely. He was too scared. He was not going to be able to do this.

 

Jareid grabbed his chin gently, and forced him to look up. Tygra mewled when he saw the frown on the jaguar’s face.

 

“You don’t need to be afraid. I promise I’m not going to hurt you, ok?”

 

The tiger nodded, but didn’t relax. Jareid let go of him, and started to disrobe. He wanted the teen in the tub, so the water and the smell of herbs could start to calm him a bit. Tygra looked as Jareid put the bathrobe aside and stepped into the tub. He sat at one side and turned towards the tiger, lifting a hand, quietly commanding Tygra to join him.

 

The teen pressed his lips together, and tried to force himself to let go of the bathrobe, but his body didn’t obey him. He whimpered quietly. He had to do as Jareid said. He couldn’t make the jaguar angry. But the idea of being naked in front of the other prince was freezing him. He didn’t want to. He felt too vulnerable, far too exposed, he couldn’t do it.

 

Tygra sobbed in desperation. He looked at Jareid and dared to hope that the older cat wouldn’t simply force him to disrobe.

 

“Please…”

 

He wasn’t sure what he was begging for. He felt very much like a little cub at the moment, and only wanted to curl up and cry. Jareid’s frown deepened and Tygra couldn’t suppress a flinch.

 

The jaguar looked at the teen and almost growled. He could smell the young cat’s fear despite the steam of the bath. He didn’t like it, not in that situation. Tygra had to relax, or both Bengali and his mother would have his head.

 

He was unsure about how to manage the situation. At the moment, Tygra looked so young. Jareid felt like he was talking to the lion cub rather than the tiger. He couldn’t just order Tygra to get into the bath already, though he very much wanted to, that would surely make things worse.

 

His eyes wandered around the bath, looking for inspiration, and he spotted the rack of towels that Bengali had left for them. There was a pair of swimming shorts that Tygra surely hadn’t even noticed. Jareid smirked, thinking of the young tiger naked under the bathrobe. It’d be delicious to have him in the bathtub without any clothes. He certainly wanted to enjoy the young, stripped body entirely, but he’d promised to behave. Besides, he now had an inkling of how he could make Tygra more at ease.

 

Still sitting at the side of the tube, with his legs deep in hot water, Jareid smiled at the teen.

 

“Look, it’s ok, I promised Bengali that we were just going to have a nice bath. But just to be sure, why don’t you put on the swimming shorts? You’d still enjoy the hot water.”

 

Tygra was momentarily taken aback by the offer, and it took some seconds for him to process what Jareid had told him. He looked towards the rack that the jaguar was pointing at, and felt like a fool for an instant before going to retrieve the swimming shorts. They were black, and the fabric was soft. He looked at the older prince again to be sure that he was allowed to wear them.

 

Jareid’s smirk made him feel like he was being laughed at. A spark of anger surged in him, and he pressed his lips together. He turned around and put the shorts on, careful to remain hidden by the bathrobe. The shorts were large, up to his knees, and the fabric was loose enough that he didn’t feel constricted. They didn’t guarantee that Jareid was going to respect him, the jaguar could get rid of any piece of cloth easily, but he felt a little bit safer.

 

He breathed deeply and turned again towards the tub. It was easier to get off the bathrobe now that he knew he wasn’t completely naked. If he just focused on the water, he might manage to get through the bath without embarrassing himself further than he already had.

 

Tygra entered the tub gingerly, trying to ignore how hot the water was and sitting quickly, so he would be hidden by the water and the bubbles. He pressed his butt firmly against the bottom of the bathtub, despite the spike of pain the action elicited, and folded his legs in front of him. The water covered him up to his neck, and he was grateful for that.

 

Once seated, Tygra sneaked a peek towards Jareid. The jaguar was getting himself comfortable at the other side of the tub. Until then, the teen had been pointedly avoiding looking at anything that was below the jaguar’s shoulders. The tiger noticed now that the older prince was also wearing a pair of swim shorts, more adjusted than his but they were there. Jareid also took care of not touching the teen’s legs with his. Soon he was settled, the water covered him up to his chest, and the tiger could pretend that he had never thought about the jaguar been naked.

 

Tygra nibbled his lower lip nervously. He had to make an effort. He didn’t want to live in pain and fear for the rest of his life. He had to get used to Jareid one way or the other. He looked as the jaguar opened his arms and leaned on the side of the tub, closed his eyes and breathed deeply, visibly relaxing himself. Tygra tried to do the same. He leaned his head backwards and forced himself to forget about Jareid’s imposing presence. His muscles started to relax and he groaned in contentment. The water was so good. He started to massage his legs and after some minutes he stretched them. His foot touched one of Jareid’s legs and the contact made him jump and came back to reality, folding his legs again out of reach.

 

Jareid suppressed the urge to chuckle at Tygra’s reaction. It was evident that the tiger was making a considerable effort to forget that he wasn’t alone. However, Jareid wasn’t one to tolerate being ignored in any way. Tygra was already sharing the bath, now he should be able to enjoy Jareid’s attentions too. He had promised Bengali that no sexual activity would take place, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t touch. He took the soap and a wash-cloth and motioned to Tygra.

 

“Do you want me to scrub your back?”

 

The tiger looked at him doubtfully. Jareid raised an eyebrow, trying to keep his always bubbling anger in control.

 

“Come on. I swear you’re going to like it.”

 

Tygra pressed his lips and gulped. He really shouldn’t press his luck with Jareid. Bengali had told him repeatedly how short of patience the jaguar was. Tygra didn’t want to anger the other cat, especially in a tub full of water, and with his wounds still so fresh. It was safer to do what Jareid said, at least he hoped so. He nodded, and forced himself to move closer to the jaguar.

 

Jareid smiled and guided the tiger to turn around and sit in front of him, between his open legs. Tygra’s entire body was practically under the water, and only his thin shoulders could be seen. That wasn’t a problem for Jareid. He enjoyed the feeling of the young body so close to his. He soaped the cloth and started to gently scrub the teen’s back. Tygra slowly relaxed and bent his legs, so he could lean his head on his knees. It felt wonderful. Tygra didn’t want to let down his guard, but the scrubbing motions, the hot water, and the relaxing steam slowly lulled him into calmness. He didn’t protest when Jareid pulled him upright to scrub his chest. He only noticed the other cat’s face too close to him when Jareid licked his ear. That pulled him out of his stupor rather rudely, but Jareid didn’t seem to notice him tense again.

 

“Do you want to scrub your legs and arms yourself?”

 

Tygra nodded without actually registering Jareid’s words. Only when the scrubbing cloth was pressed into his hand did he understood. He worked half-heartily on his legs, but when he moved to his arms he lost himself on the sensation. He was starting to scrub furiously at his left arm when Jareid noticed and stopped him, grabbing his wrists.

 

“Hey! Calm down. I’m glad that you’re out of the bandages, but I’d rather not have Bengali murdering me because I let you hurt yourself.”

 

Tygra blinked and looked at Jareid’s hands resentfully. He felt incredibly weak all of a sudden. Jareid ran his hands along the teen’s forearms, up to his shoulders and down his arms again.

 

“Besides, you have so beautiful fur. You wouldn’t want to ruin it like that.”

 

A tiny sob escaped Tygra and he closed his eyes in mortification. He wanted to feel his own claws embedded in his arms. It was something to focus on. The only way he could cope with the emotional pain he had been feeling since he had been taken from Thundera. Jareid took his chin with one hand and forced his head backwards until he could plant a kiss on the youth’s cheek.

 

“No reason to cry gorgeous. Let me do your mane, you’d feel much better.”

 

Tygra breathed deeply while Jareid’s hands applied shampoo to his head. He started to relax again and a spark of pleasure originated when the jaguar worked a sore point behind his ears. It was nice. The feeling of Jareid’s fingers massaging his scalp was incredibly soothing. In short moments he began to purr, and Jareid was very pleased at the sound. He rinsed away the shampoo and let Tygra enjoy the hot water a bit more before they had to leave the tub.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra glared at the healing implements on his bedside. He hated the bandages, but he absolutely loathed the ointment. The fact that the wound that needed the most care was in a very intimate, _inner_ part of his anatomy, didn’t help at all. The young cat was debating if he should try to apply it himself before Bengali arrived, and whether or not that would make any difference. Probably not. The shaman would surely want to make sure that he had done the job correctly, and the purpose would be nullified.

 

The tiger sighed. He knew that Bengali meant well and was just taking care of him, but he really didn’t want anyone touching him _there_. It was so degrading!

 

He sat gingerly on the bedside, resigning himself to wait for the white tiger, and praying that Jareid would be gone by then.

 

The thought of the jaguar prince made him turn his head towards the door to the closet and the bathroom. Jareid was still drying himself. He had allowed Tygra to get out of the bath first, so he could get rid of the swimming shorts and put on his bedclothes in privacy. The tiger was thankful for the little device in the closet-room that expelled hot air for drying his fur, because without it he’d be absolutely uncomfortable with damp fur covered by pyjamas. He had dried and clothed himself in record time, and had left the changing-room before Jareid was out of the bathroom.

 

Tygra was hoping that the jaguar would be true to his word and left without forcing him into sex-play again. So far, Jareid had honoured his own promise, and Tygra was trying to feel encouraged by that, but it was difficult to put his mind at ease after what had happened. Tygra felt nervousness creeping on him, and clenched his fists to prevent himself from start scratching again.

 

He needed to come to terms with Jareid. The bath had not been the horrible nightmare he had been expecting. It had actually been quite pleasant. But Tygra’s mind was down the paranoid path and he feared that it was all some kind of cruel game, just to humiliate him the most. He couldn’t help his sombre thoughts. The feeling of being taken violently over a stone bench was still firmly imbedded in his mind. To think that he would have to tolerate such treatment for the rest of his life was making him going insane. He wanted to believe that something had changed with Jareid, but at the same time he refused to let his hopes up. It had only been a bath, and Jareid could be just playing with him.

 

The door to his walk-in closet slid open and Jareid came out. He was wearing his deep blue bathrobe, and black pyjama bottoms under it. Tygra automatically stood up and crossed his arms. Jareid approached him with the intention to give him a kiss and say goodnight, maybe even fondle him a bit. Tygra tensed and backtracked a step. He hit the bedside table and turned instinctually to prevent any of the items on it from falling. That drew Jareid’s attention to the bandages, and the jar of ointment.

 

He lifted an eyebrow in curiosity. He knew that the bandages were for Tygra’s arms, and Bengali would likely arrive soon to put them on. But they were just preventive, for Tygra wouldn’t hurt himself further. He had no open wounds on his arms, so the ointment was not necessary. Then, the medicine should be for his _other_ injury. Jareid extended an arm past Tygra’s unmoving form and took the jar to analyze its contents.

 

“Do you need to apply this every night?”

 

Tygra looked embarrassed and crossed his arms again.

 

“I can’t do it properly. Bengali does it for me.”

 

Jareid growled before he could stop himself, and Tygra’s eyes widened in fear. It was irrational. The jaguar knew that Bengali was a shaman, and that he was only treating Tygra’s wounds like any healer would. There was no hidden intention in Bengali’s touch, the wound was only in an unfortunate place. But still, it was so _intimate_. _He_ should be the only one who could touch Tygra in such an intimate way!

 

“Lie down. I’ll apply it.”

 

“W-what?”

 

A look of pure panic crossed Tygra’s face and he shook his head vehemently.

 

“N-No… You can’t! You promised!”

 

Jareid quickly took Tygra by the nape of the neck and pulled the young tiger against his body. Tygra yelped and put his hands on the jaguar’s arms, trying vainly to free himself. Jareid pressed a certain point on the youth’s neck and Tygra sucked in a mouthful of air. He stopped his wriggling, but still tried to beg.

 

“P-Please… I-I can’t…”

 

Jareid relaxed his hold, and put the jar of ointment on the bedside table again. This was so frustrating. He couldn’t be fighting Tygra every single time he touched him! He massaged the teen’s neck and with his other hand took the tiger’s left wrist.

 

“Listen Tygra. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m trying to take care of you here!”

 

Tygra stared at him. The tiger’s mouth formed a thin line for a moment, and then a sceptical look appeared in his eyes.

 

“Why? You don’t really care about me. I’ll heal anyway and then you can… have me again, whenever you want.”

 

He turned away his face while he said the last words. Jareid did a great effort to control his temper. He wanted to bite the teen’s neck and force him into compliance. Instead, he whispered into Tygra’s ear.

 

“You are the most infuriating little cat I have ever met. I do want to do many things to your body, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care to know you on any other level.”

 

He grabbed both of Tygra’s arms and looked directly into the young stunned eyes.

 

“I am a rather sexually aggressive cat. At least that’s what Bengali calls me. And I lose control quite easily. But I’m willing to make an effort to go slower, for your sake, to leave you time to adjust. I’m curious about you, and I’m sure that we’d get to know each other, if you’re willing.”

 

Tygra was speechless for several seconds. He realized that Jareid was expecting an answer and he nodded cautiously. There was not much else he could do; he needed more time to think about the jaguar’s words. It was enough for Jareid, who smirked and turned towards the bed. He put away the covers and repeated his earlier command for Tygra to lie down. This time, the tiger obeyed with only a slight reluctance.

 

Tygra lay on his stomach, and tried to suppress the shivers that ran down his body. He didn’t like to be in such a vulnerable position with Jareid looming over him. He listened to the cat taking the ointment again and felt the bed sunk as Jareid sat beside him. He clenched his hands into fists around the sheets and breathed deeply. He did his best to not react when Jareid pulled his bottoms and underwear down. It was hard, and it was worse when he felt the jaguar’s fingers separating his buttocks and exposing his entrance. He bit the pillow with force and tensed when one slick finger started to massage the ring of muscle. Mentally, he clung to the jaguar’s promise that he wasn’t going to be hurt, repeating to himself time and again that he had to do what the older cat instructed. So far Jareid had honoured his promise, Tygra just prayed that he’d continue to do so.

 

Jareid’s finger entered him, and Tygra gasped at the discomfort. It was not exactly painful, as the ointment was acting as lubricant, but his tight muscles were not making the penetration easy. The jaguar’s other hand started to massage his lower back, trying to get him to relax.

 

“You’re making this harder for yourself Tygra. Let go.”

 

Tygra tried to do it. He breathed deeply once more and focused in Jareid’s hand on his back rather than the finger inside him. Jareid sighed and moved his hand up. He started to rub Tygra’s neck and the base of his head, moving his fingers expertly. The attention sent shivers down Tygra’s spine, but it was pleasant. The tiger finally started to relax and Jareid moved his finger at the same rhythm that the hand on Tygra’s head. He inserted a second finger and Tygra whimpered. The youth tensed again for a moment, but it was short-lived as Jareid’s massage continued working on his head.

 

After a few seconds, Jareid’s thumb pressed a point behind Tygra’s ear and the teen started to purr in pleasure. The jaguar smiled and continued rubbing that precise point.

 

“Looks like I found your weakness my tiger.”

 

Tygra continued purring, now completely relaxed. Jareid took out his fingers from Tygra’s behind for a moment to coat them in more ointment before shoving them inside again. Tygra groaned, and then jumped in surprise when Jareid brushed over his prostate. The jaguar smirked and started moving his fingers inside Tygra with a renewed purpose. Tygra’s breath-rate increased and he whimpered and gasped between purrs. He wanted to move, but Jareid’s hand on the base of his head held him firm. His legs were kicking out and his fists were about to rip the bedcovers. A wrenched sob finally escaped him and he managed to talk.

 

“P-please… Please stop… please…”

 

Jareid groaned. He had to stop before he broke his promise entirely. His fingers went out of the teen’s anus, but instead of releasing the youth, he positioned himself over the smaller body, barely lying on it. Tygra gave a sharp intake of air and froze, not daring to move a muscle. Jareid’s bulk over him felt constricting, but he knew that the jaguar was not letting his entire weight fall on him. The spotted cat’s hands started to rub Tygra’s flanks and shoulders.

 

The tiger didn’t know what to do. He nearly panicked again when he felt Jareid’s very obvious erection press on his still naked bottom. Fortunately, Jareid had not taken off his own pants or Tygra would have screamed. Jareid bit his neck rather gently and sucked on it. Then his laboured breath was at Tygra’s right ear.

 

“Damn it Tygra! I want you so much. You’re driving me crazy, you know?”

 

Tygra whimpered. If Jareid took him right then he was not going to resist it. He was going to break, he just knew it. He tried to plead again, but his mouth felt dry. He couldn’t do anything to stop Jareid from taking what he wanted, that fact had already been shown clearly enough.

 

The teen gave a resigned sniff, and bit the pillow harder when he felt the prince’s hands going to his thighs. He was trying to mentally prepare himself for the pain and forcibly relax at the same time. Therefore, he was surprised when Jareid pulled up his pyjama pants and arranged his clothes so he wasn’t uncomfortable. The jaguar’s right hand returned to rub his head soothingly and Jareid nuzzled his neck in a comforting gesture. The relief Tygra felt was almost enough to knock him down. The only thing grounding him was that Jareid’s other hand was still grabbing his hip possessively.

 

“When you’re recovered, I’m going to show you how good sex can be. You’d learn to enjoy it, and to crave my touch, I assure you.”

 

Tygra was still shaken and he closed his eyes, breathing deeply to try to calm himself. What Jareid couldn’t see, or even imagine, was that the young tiger had been experiencing every intimate touch they had shared as rape. He didn’t want to be there. He didn’t want to be mated to a male, any male, let alone one as extremely possessive and dominant as Jareid was. But he must. He had been forced into the mating, and he had no other choice but to endure Jareid’s abuse. He briefly wondered how much he could take before he snapped. Then decided it wouldn’t matter anyway. Nothing was going to get him out of his personal hell.

 

He let a few rebellious tears slid from his eyes and sighed in acceptance. Jareid licked the mark on his neck and sucked gently. Tygra groaned and felt a strange mixture of pleasure and disgust at the situation in general. Still, he couldn’t help but feel thankful that he was not being fucked into the mattress. That at least was an indication that Jareid could keep his promises.

 

The jaguar played a little bit with Tygra’s mane, his own mind starting to relax. There was however, one point that needed to be clear.

 

“I’m not sharing you with anyone Tygra. I won’t tolerate anyone having intimate access to you. Not even Bengali is allowed to touch you in that way. Do you understand? He is keeping his hands to himself from now on!”

 

Tygra reeled with anguish again. He partially turned his head to try and look at the jaguar.

 

“W-what? B-but he’s taking care of me. He’s healing me! You can’t take him away! Please don’t!”

 

“He’s perfectly capable of monitoring your healing without having to insert his fingers in you. The first time was an emergency, but not anymore. He’s not touching you, Tygra!”

 

Jareid was snarling at him, but Tygra couldn’t just submit this time. Despite his fear, he had to make sure that Bengali was not going to be banned from seeing him. He needed the white tiger’s presence. That, and his brother, were the only things that were keeping him sane.

 

“Please… He’s my friend… A-and he’d want to make sure that I have my arms bandaged…”

 

Jareid had started to growl, but he stopped himself. He considered the tiger’s words and deduced that Tygra was afraid of not seeing Bengali anymore. He nipped the youth’s neck, and Tygra whimpered.

 

“That he can do. As long as he’s not touching your private parts, he can do anything else. He’s still in charge of your security, that’s not going to change.”

 

Tygra relaxed in gratefulness. He nodded his thanks and even moved his head to the side, so Jareid would have better access to his neck. The Jaguar was satisfied and continued his ministrations to his mate’s body, trying to find more relaxing points in the tiger’s head and back. Soon Tygra was purring again, and shortly after that he fell asleep.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid went out of Tygra’s room with a feeling of accomplishment thrumming in him. He had left his young mate sleeping and safely tucked in his covers to keep the cold away.

 

He had initially wondered about why Tygra’s room was always cold at night. Nights were often warm in the jungle, and the system that kept the palace cool was only used on really hot nights. All of the castle’s inhabitants preferred to just sleep without covers, as they were used to the heat. One of the shamans had told him that the young princes were used to Thundera’s weather, and that there the nights could be very cold, so they turned the climate system on to low down the heat. It was supposed to help the brothers to acclimate themselves with their new environment.

 

Jareid shook his head in amusement. When Tygra’d sleep in his bed, he wouldn’t need any covers. His gorgeous mate was going to sleep naked in his arms. Jareid found himself growing rather fond of the image.

 

He encountered Bengali outside the room, evidently waiting for him. He smirked at the white tiger’s protectiveness and proceeded to inform him that Tygra was sleeping and it would be best to not disturb him. Bengali raised an eyebrow, not sure if he could believe his prince’s words.

 

“Are you sure that he’s fine Jareid? He was terribly stressed when I left.”

 

“He’s fine now. I assure that you aren’t needed tonight. Oh, and another thing. You’re not applying that ointment anymore.”

 

Bengali bristled and got defensive in an instant.

 

“What? When did you become a healer Jareid? Tygra needs it!”

 

“Yes, but I will be the one helping him with it. It’s not great science. You can still check his progress with the scanner.”

 

Bengali started and blinked in astonishment.

 

“You… applied it? Jareid if you hurt him…!”

 

“I did not! He’s perfectly fine, and I’m going to be the only one taking care of that particular wound. Are we clear Bengali? I don’t want you touching him there again!”

 

Jareid was positively growling, and Bengali backed off, surprised by the sheer force of it. His narrowed eyes focused on the jaguar.

 

“What’s happening to you?” He wondered aloud. Jareid looked baffled at the question.

 

“What kind of question is that? What do you mean?”

 

“You’re acting weird. You have never been so… possessive of someone. I’m certain that you have never cared before about the healing process of any of your sex-partners, or whether or not someone else touches them. You seem to be acquiring some kind of attachment to Tygra and that is… unheard of.”

 

Jareid cocked his head and smirked.

 

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it?”

 

Bengali only stared at him for some seconds before answering.

 

“I’m not sure yet. But it’s definitely an oddity.”

 

Jareid rolled his eyes at his long-time friend.

 

“Tygra is my mate. Why shouldn’t I care for him?”

 

“That’s not what I said. I only pointed to the fact that you never cared before for others.”

 

Jareid scoffed and did a gesture of disgust.

 

“You mean the many cats that thought about getting a shot at power with me? Seriously? Please! They were only good for fun and stress relief. Most of them couldn’t even sustain an intelligent conversation if their lives depended on it! My tiger is different. I’m not the next step to the throne for him. He’s not looking for any favours, and he’s not leaving me. Ever. He deserves to be cared for.”

 

Bengali thought there was a bit of longing and desperation in Jareid’s voice, but decided not to comment on it. Whatever inner demons his prince had, it was not his place to bring them out. It did worry him that Jareid seemed to be dismissing the fact that Tygra was not there by choice. As interesting as that was, Bengali feared that his prince was acquiring an unhealthy obsession for the young tiger. Something would have to be done about it, but he was not sure about how to proceed. He could do more bad than good if he was not careful.

 

For the moment, he felt that it was best if Jareid cared for Tygra like he wanted. If his “caring” resulted to be too much for the young tiger, then Bengali’d intervene.

 

He nodded his acceptance of Jareid’s point of view, and didn’t discuss the jaguar’s right to attend Tygra. He only insisted on bandaging the tiger’s arms, because he didn’t want the youth hurting himself anymore. However, he agreed to wait ‘till the morning to check on his young charge. If Jareid had truly left Tygra sleeping it was best to not disturb him.

 

Jareid recovered his cocky attitude once he was sure that Bengali was not questioning his actions anymore and was going to obey him. They retired for the night with peace between them for the first time in days.

 

 


	4. Gossip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> This chapter contains light bondage. Be warned.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

Tygra moved his arm and sent his whip up and around a strong looking branch. He pulled with force to check that he had a good hold on it, and started to climb, using only his arms to pull himself up along the whip.

 

He arrived to his destiny and looked around for a higher branch. He continued to climb as fast as he could, and careful to not do any noise. He managed to reach the top of the tree, and surveyed his surroundings.

 

The jungle’s vegetation was thick, but from where he stood Tygra was able to see a good 10 meters beyond, with some difficulty. He spotted a vibrant piece of red somewhere to the northwest, and made his way there through the trees. He hoped that it was his target this time, and not another bloody flower.

 

He had healed entirely from his injury after a month, and had returned to his pre-established routine as soon as Bengali had said it was ok for him to do so. Tygra had lost no time in rejoining his training, and was quickly becoming one of the best trainees.

 

Just as it had been at home.

 

Tygra stopped at a tree that hid him quite nicely from possible bystanders, and huffed in annoyance. It was a bloody flower, but some meters beyond it he could see a clearing among the vegetation, and in the middle of it was his target. This time for real.

 

He could see no one close by, so he allowed himself a little respite while he pondered what to do.

 

Four months. He and Lion-O had been in Ix-Maal for exactly four months. The first one had been true hell for Tygra, but later… He supposed he was getting used to his new life. He was adapting. He supposed it was for the best. He’d never return home anyway, so his mind was looking for the best way to survive.

 

The training had been a blessing. Hard physical activity and exercise in the wild, still strange for him, jungle. As a hunter he must learn to move expertly in the jungle. That required all his concentration and ability. Barely any time left to think or to remember.

 

Tygra moved as quietly as he could to another tree. He sniffed the air a couple of times, and crouched behind the branches, trying to camouflage himself entirely. The other trainees had thought when they had first seen him, that his orange colour would be a dead give away. They hadn’t been counting on his stripped pattern, that helped him to meld into his surroundings.

 

In the time he had been living there, he had started to meet more cats, and even made a few acquaintances. He had also heard gossip and rumours. He had realized that there was a lot of speculation about him, and the way Jareid treated him. Some cats had even been bold enough to ask him directly how was Jareid’s performance in bed, and what had happened for him to get banned from training for almost four weeks.

 

Tygra had never answered such questions. That was private for the spirit’s sake! So, the rumours continued making their way to his ears. Some of them were truly annoying.

 

Tygra had felt embarrassed when he had discovered a couple of the court’s “ladies” discussing **_his_** sex-life. Really! Some cats had absolutely no shame! And Tygra had truly despaired to know that apparently Jareid was one of those cats.

 

Oh, there was plenty of gossip going around about Jareid. And for Tygra’s annoyance, it seemed that some jaguars had made their mission in life to make him listen to every bit of it, especially the sex parts. Tygra hated it. What use would it be for him to know how many sex-partners Jareid had had? He didn’t want to know that! Neither was he interested in knowing the specifics of what he did to them in bed! He already had plenty of Jareid’s sexual behaviour for himself, thank you very much!

 

But some cats were just stubborn, and soon Tygra had had an unwelcome and very clear picture of Jareid’s reputation amongst the Jaguar Clan. It seemed that Bengali’s definition of “sexually aggressive cat” was just the point of the iceberg. Jareid was a satyr. If Tygra had ever met someone truly addicted to sex, it was Jareid. And every bit of that addiction was currently focused on the young tiger!

 

Tygra had also realized that it was precisely that last fact what had some of the jaguars at the court in such a fit. He had been shocked to know that some cats were actually jealous of him! Some cats were just mad, he had decided.

 

He was getting tired of listening tales about how Jareid was such a magnificent lover, along others that said how much of a bastard he was. Tygra knew that already! He knew how demanding Jareid was, and how violent he could get sometimes. He didn’t need to listen to other cats wondering about how Jareid was using his “new toy”; how bad was he trashing the tiger; how many bruises and wounds was he sporting already; how long would it take before he ended in the healer’s wing; or how long would it be before Jareid tired of him!

 

Tygra was sick of it. If they wanted Jareid, they could very well have him! Maybe then he would have some peace!

 

But as much as he hated to admit it, the gossip was getting to him more than it should. One of the female jaguars of the court had just recently confronted him, and had told him bluntly that he wasn’t good enough for Jareid. He was just a skinny kit with absolutely no idea about how to please a cat of Jareid’s tastes. She had told him haughtily that their prince deserved better, and that when he tired of his toy, she’d be ready for him.

 

Well, good luck on that… bitch.

 

In reality, as much as he hated it, Tygra had to admit to himself that Jareid was an expert in having sex. The cat certainly knew how to touch and arouse a partner. As for Tygra’s painfully obvious inexperience, Jareid didn’t seem to care. He hadn’t shown any signs of getting tired of his… “toy.” He had been in Tygra’s room every single night, always leaving the young tiger exhausted and deeply asleep. It didn’t seem to matter that Tygra didn’t know how to “please” his partner. Jareid seemed happy to do all the work, and was actually teaching Tygra what to do.

 

And the most embarrassing part was that the young teen was starting to actually enjoy it. His body was getting used to Jareid’s touch, to be aroused with the jaguar’s ministrations. As disgusted as he still was with the whole concept of being submitted to another male in that way, he was starting to just give in to it. It helped that Jareid had been true to his word and was actually been gentler with him. Somehow that made Tygra feel worse. There should be something seriously wrong with him, or maybe he just was finally going insane.

 

Tygra groaned and bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. He shouldn’t be thinking about Jareid and his sexual abilities! He should be focusing on the exercise!

 

He bit himself again and looked at the target. The pain helped him to focus and calculate his next move.

 

It was his new technique to keep in touch with reality. He was not allowed to scratch, cut, pinch or bit himself in any part of his anatomy. Bengali was being ruthless about that, and Tygra was sure that the white tiger had instructed Jareid to check his entire body daily. So, he had had to get inventive. He couldn’t do any marks where someone could see them, but no one saw the inside of his mouth. The only one who could possibly notice his gashes was Jareid, and so far he hadn’t mentioned anything about them. Nevertheless, Tygra was careful to do small bites and he preferred to do it in the area just in front of his lower incisors.

 

He got as close as he could to the target, a red flag, without leaving the cover of the tree branches. He knew that there must be someone guarding it. He just had to be fast and get there before he was noticed.

 

He jumped to the ground quietly, and moved around trying to disturb the plants as little as possible. He had his whip in his grip. He knew that the stones at the end of it could be used to make himself invisible, but he had not yet mastered that function. Besides, the jaguars had special suits that produced the same effect, but they were not using them. As it was, they were only wearing black shorts. The whole point of the exercise was to practice stealth and camouflage without any technological help. That included his whip. Their trainer didn’t want his hunters to rely too much on technology. He wanted them to know what to do if they couldn’t count on their gadgets for whatever reason.

 

Tygra was barely five meters away from the target, and apparently he had yet to be discovered. He could make a run for it.

 

Suddenly, he heard a noise at his right. Out of nowhere, a piece of wood was released and sped in an arch right towards Tygra. The tiger fell flat on his stomach against the ground. The big log past close to him and impacted in a nearby tree. There was a yelp, and one of his teammates fell to the ground. Two of the more advanced trainees fell on him and subdued him quickly. No one had seen Tygra yet.

 

“Just one more to go!”

 

“I don’t think he’d even get this far.”

 

“We’d wait a few more minutes and then search for him.”

 

So, Tygra was alone. He was so close to the target, he could reach it in a few seconds if he took a sprint. But the others were closer to him than he was to the flag. They’d reach him first.

 

Tygra thought about what to do. He’d have only a fraction of a second to make a start, and then the moment of surprise would be lost and he’d have both jaguars over him. He had to have the flag on his hands before anyone touched him.

 

What to do? He couldn’t afford to wait too long. If they hid again, he’d have no idea where the attack would be coming from. And there also were the traps to take into account. His hands tightened into fists, and he remembered his whip. He looked carefully at the terrain and the distance that separated him from the flag. Yeah, it could work. He just had to be very fast.

 

He crawled forwards just a bit and got ready. Just when the two trainees lifted his teammate to get him out of the way, he stood up, gave only a step forward and sent his whip towards the flag.

 

A set of darts zoomed past in front of him, right across the path he would have had to follow if he had run. He pulled the captured flag to himself and caught it just as one of the older trainees tackled him.

 

Both cats fell to the ground noisily. It took some struggling before the jaguar realized that Tygra had the flag.

 

“Damn!”

 

“Hey Idhao! Did you get him?”

 

“He has the flag!”

 

“Shit!”

 

There was noise around them, and Idhao helped Tygra to get on his feet. They were surrounded by the entire group. About six trainees that were at Tygra’s level, four advanced, two newly promoted hunters, and their trainer. The adult jaguar looked approvingly at the most recent addition to his group.

 

“Well done Tygra. Good thinking.”

 

“Thank you sir.”

 

“The rest of you should be ashamed of yourselves! Twelve laps to the courtyard at full speed when we get back!”

 

There was a chorus of ‘Yes sir’ and the group started back to the palace.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra took a quick shower in the barracks that were on one of the courtyards. They were used by some of the soldiers and the training warriors, and the showers were open to anyone who wanted to have a soak after the training. They were used continuously due to the natural heat of the jungle.

 

It was evening already, and Tygra still had reading to do before dinner. He got out of the stalls, drying himself and looking for his clothes. While he was dressing, he heard voices coming from the other side of the showers. He distinctly heard his name being mentioned and he groaned inwardly. He couldn’t help but to eavesdrop what was being said.

 

“Hard to believe he’s actually hunter material!”

 

“Yeah, he certainly doesn’t look like too much. But he really surprises me. I’d have thought that he wouldn’t keep healthy for long with Jareid’s treatment.”

 

“Ha! I hardly think he’s all healthy and uninjured. I think the shaman’s are doing their work very well.”

 

“Oh please! Like Jareid would really waste his time with the likes of him! Our prince has certain tastes. The boy would never be able to keep up with him!”

 

“Do you really think he has not touched him Mao? He’s going to be the prince’s mate.”

 

“Yeah, and Jareid is the type to taste the goods beforehand!”

 

There were laughs and a derisive scoff.

 

“He’d be his mate in name only. Do you really think our prince would ever be satisfied with a scrawny kit?”

 

“Well, it’s true that Jareid is very demanding.”

 

“The cat’s a bastard! Mao’s right, the kit would never be enough to satisfy his urges.”

 

“Of course not! You’d see. He’d set the kit aside as soon as the official ceremony is over.”

 

“Wonder how many consorts our esteemed prince is going to require.”

 

“Ha! That’s irrelevant. I’m only interested that I’d be one of them.”

 

“I wouldn’t count on it Mao, after all he had not looked for you in months!”

 

Tygra gritted his teeth and stopped listening. It was not the first time he had overheard that Mao talking about him and Jareid. One of his favourite topics seemed to be how he was going to be Jareid’s lover and keep Tygra as a sex-toy if the prince really wanted to.

 

The young tiger walked back to the palace main building. He was seething and wondering why the warriors’ talk upset him so much.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra sat on the railing of his balcony, looking morosely at the garden below him. It was night already, but outside of his room it was not cold. He couldn’t take off his mind the talk he had heard, and many other things he now knew about Jareid.

 

He was angry at the fact that it bothered him so much. So what if Jareid wasn’t satisfied with him? The cat could go and bed the entire clan if he wanted! Tygra would be happy if the jaguar decided to satiate his sexual needs elsewhere!

 

He sighed. Perhaps the cross of the problem was that no one had ever told him that he wasn’t good enough for something. Except for the crown.

 

A rueful smile graced Tygra’s face. Of course, he’d never be good enough to be king.

 

He was well down the road to depression when he heard footsteps. He had his back to the door, but the presence behind him was unmistakable. He sighed in resignation as Jareid’s arms surrounded his waist and he was pressed against a firm chest.

 

“Enjoying the night my little tiger?”

 

“It’s nice.”

 

Jareid nipped his neck and ear. The jaguar’s hands were already under his shirt, caressing his flanks and stomach.

 

“I heard that you were the top of your group today. That’s my tiger.”

 

“I-I… ah… it was only an exercise… nngh…”

 

Jareid’s hands were already making him lose focus. He squirmed a bit. Jareid made him turn around and kissed his mouth possessively. Then he grabbed his buttocks and lifted him from the railing. Tygra yelped and held onto Jareid’s arms.

 

“Come my tiger. It’s time I introduce you to a bit of bondage.”

 

“To… to what?”

 

Tygra felt the familiar panic that filled him every time Jareid wanted to teach him something. The jaguar had not penetrated him again since their fight, but the dominance fuck he had been subjected to was still burned in his mind. Jareid had promised that he’d enjoy the next time, but Tygra was in no hurry for that to happen.

 

Jareid put him down beside the bed, and closed the balcony’s door and the curtains.

 

“Get out of those clothes Tygra, and get on the bed.”

 

Tygra obeyed with trembling hands. He loathed himself for doing this, for submitting so easily to Jareid’s demands. What would his father think of him if he knew?

 

Probably that better him than Lion-O.

 

Tygra bit the inside of his lip and tried not to think. He climbed on the bed and folded his legs against his chest. He was too self-conscious of his nakedness, and tried to not see Jareid as the older cat got rid of his own clothes.

 

Too soon, a pair of hands were over his shoulders. Tygra gave a sharp intake of breath as Jareid worked on his back muscles.

 

“Don’t be stubborn my tiger. You know you like this.”

 

Tygra wouldn’t say that he _liked_ having sex with Jareid. But his body was already responding, and it was useless to deny that the jaguar’s hands did feel pleasant.

 

Tygra started to relax. Jareid made him lie down and pulled his hands over his head. Before Tygra realized what was happening his wrists were tied together to the headboard. The teen started to panic when he realized he couldn’t move his arms.

 

“W-what? Jareid!”

 

“Ssht. Just relax. You’re with me.”

 

“That’s what worries me you bastard!”

 

Jareid chuckled. Tygra still had quite the temper. And he still fought Jareid’s touch from time to time. The jaguar was fond of those little bursts of rebellion. His tiger was not used to submit, and it was taxing him to have to do it. But submit he will, only to Jareid.

 

He kissed the youth’s mouth, while his hands wandered along the stripped body. He knew every single spot that made the tiger lose himself, and he could force his young partner to relax and moan in pleasure whenever he wanted. He worked the back of Tygra’s head to his advantage and the tiger gasped and moaned at the attention, allowing him to completely take possession of his mouth.

 

Jareid ran his tongue around the tiger’s oral cavity, feeling the insides for any new wounds. Tygra’s tongue battled his, trying to keep him away from the fleshy walls. Still, Jareid could taste the distinct flavour of blood. He sighed inwardly. He had not mentioned anything to Bengali because he thought that Tygra was dealing with his anguish as best as he could. The biting seemed to help him, despite what Bengali had to say. He’d report it if the tiger managed to do a severe wound, but he doubted it.

 

Still, he knew that his tiger needed to learn another way to deal with his anxiousness. One that didn’t include hurting himself. He decided to think more about it later. For the moment, he had a delectable body trembling under him that required his undivided attention.

 

He produced a ball gag. As soon as he ended the kiss, and before Tygra had time to complain, he pressed the sides of the boy’s jaw to keep the mouth open, and forced the rubber ball gag in it. He secured the gag quickly, and looked at Tygra’s indignant eyes glaring at him. He smirked.

 

“That is for you to have something to bite other than your tongue. You can suck on it.”

 

“Nnnnghh!!”

 

Tygra tried to move away, but Jareid captured his legs and tied his ankles to the end of the bed, leaving him open and vulnerable. Tygra was starting to sweat in fear.

 

“Now, I told you, there’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ll take care of you.”

 

He got out a piece of black cloth and started to put it over Tygra’s eyes, evidently his purpose was to blindfold him. Tygra’s eyes widened and he shook his head in denial. Jareid stopped him with a bite to his neck.

 

“Stay still Tygra. Close your eyes, I know what I’m doing.”

 

He secured the blindfold, not too tight but enough so Tygra couldn’t throw it off. The teen was breathing heavily by then. He couldn’t move, and couldn’t call for help. He was truly helpless. Jareid started to run his hands over the shivering body, teasing and soothing at the same time.

 

“Sshh. It’s ok. Just relax. You’d like it.”

 

Tygra vowed to kill Jareid. Somehow he was going to find the way to kill him and dispose of the body. The bastard!

 

The tiger pulled on his bonds, but even when they didn’t feel too tight they didn’t give. Jareid started to touch him and suck on his nipples. Tygra sucked on the gag. It was as if he could feel better. Every one of Jareid’s moves felt stronger. The teen whimpered and tried to protest, but the gag prevented him of making intelligible sounds.

 

Jareid played with his mate’s body for a while, noticing that the teen was getting aroused despite his protests. He sucked and bit delicately the tender thighs, barely brushing the boy’s privates. He liked the smell of his tiger, and the shivering he was provoking. He ran his tongue along the semi-erect cock of his mate, and enjoyed the gasp that escaped the gagged prince. He continued his ministrations to the tiger’s member, sucking and licking until it was fully erect. One of his fingers started to massage Tygra’s entrance. He had previously coated his fingers with lube, so he won’t hurt his mate.

 

Tygra groaned when Jareid inserted his finger inside him. He knew the ritual by then. Jareid would tease him mercilessly, making him beg for release, until the jaguar was satisfied with his pleads. Only now that he was gagged and tied to the bed, Tygra had no way to beg. He shuddered to think about how long Jareid could keep toying with him. Soon a second and a third finger joined the first.

 

The jaguar quickly found the tiger’s prostate, and stimulated it at the same time he was sucking the shaft. Tygra attempted to move his hips, but Jareid stopped him with his free hand. The teen’s moans were very audible behind the gag. Just when the boy was about to explode, Jareid put a cock ring on him. The growl of frustration and indignation that Tygra gave made him chuckle.

 

“There, there. I don’t want you to finish early, precious.”

 

He definitely was going to die.

 

Tygra was going crazy. Jareid was moving his fingers in circles, and opening and closing them inside him. The hot mouth was engulfing his erection again. He could feel teeth brushing against his length, not biting, but teasing. The jaguar even licked his balls from time to time. Tygra was sweating and moaning helplessly, wishing he could at least move.

 

Quite abruptly the fingers were gone, as well as Jareid’s mouth. Tygra made a desperate noise behind the gag. Jareid couldn’t leave him like that! He wriggled in his bonds, trying to get loose. The jaguar was over him in seconds.

 

“Easy, easy Tygra. I’m still here.”

 

The tiger made muffled sounds of protest, and Jareid’s hands were over his body again. The jaguar looked at his prey carefully. He liked to see Tygra helpless, at his mercy. But the position the tiger was in wasn’t very comfortable for what he wanted to do. He let go of Tygra’s ankles, and almost immediately grabbed the knees, preventing the teen from closing his legs and turn around. Tygra writhed and tried to free himself. Jareid held him tight and positioned himself between the tiger’s open thighs. His erection rubbed the boy’s buttocks, and then the tip found a rest at the recently prepared hole.

 

Tygra froze for a second. Then he shook his head, trying to cry out in denial. Jareid leaned over him, pining his body to the mattress and exposing his entrance even more. One hand held the back of his head.

 

“Stop Tygra! Stay still.”

 

Tygra sobbed while Jareid licked his neck and gave butterfly kisses to his face.

 

“It’s all right precious.”

 

Jareid grabbed the youth’s buttocks and pulled them apart. Tygra was tense. He’d hurt him if he forced his way in. One of the jaguar’s hands pressed a certain point on the Tiger’s lower back, and Tygra moaned, sending his head backwards. Jareid massaged the spot, forcing Tygra to relax. When he felt his tiger’s muscles go lax, he moved his hips and entered the boy.

 

Tygra cried out when he felt Jareid’s cock inside him. The jaguar was too big for him. Even prepared, it was painful. Jareid gave two powerful thrusts and was fully seated inside his mate. He remained immobile for some moments, enjoying the tightness of the young channel and waiting for Tygra to get used to his length. He licked the tiger’s jaw and tried to soothe him.

 

“It’s fine my little tiger. You’re ok. It doesn’t hurt.”

 

Tygra was taking deep breaths. Jareid’s hands started to stimulate his pleasure points again, and began to move.

 

Jareid took his erection out of the warm body almost entirely. He straightened and looked down, only to make sure that there was no blood. When he didn’t spot or smell any, he smiled and pushed inside the tight channel again. Tygra’s groans were getting louder. Jareid gave a few experimental thrusts until he found the right angle. Tygra moaned and his entire body trembled when Jareid brushed against his prostate. The jaguar smirked and started to establish a rhythm.

 

He fucked Tygra slowly, enjoying each thrust and the helpless moans that his mate couldn’t control. One of his hands returned to attend the tiger’s erection, happy to find it still at its full. He worked Tygra at time with his thrusts. Soon, the teen was growling and trying to move his hips in accord with him. Jareid increased the pace, thrusting into the young body hard and fast. He freed Tygra’s cock just moments before he released with force. The teen came too, with the loudest moan Jareid had heard from him. Both of them stayed still for long minutes, while they recovered from the shared orgasm.

 

Jareid put his breath under control, and then pulled out from Tygra. The teen moaned weakly and turned on his side. His wrists were released, and the blindfold and gag taken out. Jareid hugged the thin form and curled behind him, wanting to cuddle just for a little while.

 

Tygra lied in Jareid’s arms, trying to get his breath back. The jaguar kissed his head and right cheek, already aiming for his neck.

 

The tiger felt exhausted. Also, his mind was in turmoil. Everything that he had heard about himself and Jareid kept popping in his head without his permission. He started to bit the inside of his mouth again. Was he just a toy like everyone kept saying? At the moment he certainly felt like he was. Jareid’s toy.

 

He tried to ignore it. He tried to just close his eyes and sleep, but he couldn’t. Jareid was grooming him, cleaning his body with a wet cloth. He was a precious toy. A possession.

 

A lone tear escaped his eyes without him noticing. Jareid did, and licked it from his cheek.

 

“There, there. You’re not hurt. You’re like a drug Tygra. I couldn’t wait any longer to be inside you again. Was I too rough? I think you enjoyed it.”

 

Tygra nodded absently. What could he say? It was a bit painful, but pleasurable at the same time. He was still trembling from his orgasm. He was depressed for some ridiculous reason.

 

Jareid sucked on his neck, working on his mark. Then he noticed that Tygra looked sad.

 

“What’s the matter? What’s in your mind Tygra?”

 

A tiny sob made its way out of the youth’s chest. Tygra closed his eyes and sighed.

 

“What am I?”

 

Jareid frowned, not sure of what he had heard.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“What am I to you? Why are you doing this to me? I’m not Thundera’s heir. I’m just Claudus’ adopted son. I don’t understand what could you possibly find attractive in me. Why are you here, playing with me, every night?!”

 

Jareid moved and made Tygra turn around, so he was looking right into his eyes. He kissed him deeply, and then rubbed their noses together.

 

“Such a question. You are my mate, Tygra. Not officially yet, but I already claimed you. You are mine. Forget about Thundera, it doesn’t matter where you used to live or with whom. You live here now. With me. You stopped being Claudus’ son the moment he accepted to give you away to me.”

 

Tygra swallowed. He could clearly see the obsession in Jareid’s eyes. How the jaguar was seeing him? He didn’t know if he wanted to know.

 

“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m so young? That I’m a scrawny teen? I’m not exactly a good looking partner for a king.”

 

“You’re not going to be a teen forever. You’ll grow up Tygra. You’ll grow up into a handsome, strong male. My male. Then I’d have to keep other cats away from you.”

 

That actually made Tygra smile a bit. He sighed and turned his head to the side.

 

“I just… This wasn’t my choice. I feel like I’m some kind of exotic thing. I never wanted a male partner. I never even had thought about a partner at all! I wish I… I don’t know.”

 

Jareid kissed him again, tenderly this time. Then he hugged him tightly.

 

“You’re just confused. You’re not a thing Tygra, I’d never seen you like that. You’re my mate. Mine. We’re going to make a family together. The rest doesn’t matter. You’re staying with me forever.”

 

He said it with such conviction, that Tygra felt overwhelmed. He didn’t really know how that made him feel, so he only nodded and stayed quiet.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was making his way towards the healer’s wing in search of Bengali. He knew the Shaman would go to find him to make sure he didn’t miss lunch, but he needed someone to talk. He had woken up with pain in his back and complaining intestines, but the muscle relaxant ointments had made wonders for him. And he wasn’t bleeding, he had checked.

 

He had walked funny the first steps in the morning, but had corrected that quickly. He didn’t want to give any indication that Jareid had shagged him the previous night.

 

He still was a bit stressed though. He didn’t know what to feel or who to believe. Jareid had changed his approach to him. True, he had never actually stopped to force Tygra into some form of sexual activity with him, but he had been more considerate. Wasn’t that what he had wanted when the entire nightmare had started? Some consideration?

 

Jareid actually seemed to care. So, what was his problem now? That there was no love? He knew beforehand it was going to be like that. And he wasn’t a bloody girl damn it! He had never dreamed of romance, or finding the one true love. When king Baal had sent him to his room in Thundera for the last time to pack, the best he had hoped for was someone he could talk to.

 

Jareid had been trying to know him better. They had been sharing some things about each other. The jaguar was following his training closely. They had even had some discussions about politics. Jareid could be a sex-maniac, but he had a sharp mind, and knew how to play his role as crown prince perfectly well. They had reached some form of agreement. A kind of relationship that Tygra thought he could live with. He only wished Jareid wasn’t so focused on sex.

 

He stopped before the door of the clinic and reclined his head to feel the cool surface. What was bothering him? The gossip? Every court had its fare share of scandals. He knew that. Perhaps it wouldn’t matter if it wasn’t so intimate. He had heard so many things about Jareid that he was not sure he’d ever really know the cat. How could he know if his mate was sincere with him? Why would it matter anyway?

 

He sighed in frustration and opened the door. He needed someone to talk to, and Bengali had always been there for him for his entire ordeal. He needed a friend, and the white tiger was the only one he had at the moment.

 

He entered the clinic and looked around for Ben. There was no one in sight, but the door to the study was open. Tygra could listen people talking. He approached the open door quietly. He didn’t want to interrupt if Ben was busy, so he sat in a chair beside the door, where no one would notice him. He’d wait ‘till Bengali was alone.

 

He recognized his friend’s voice, and his companion was a female. Tygra didn’t want to eavesdrop, but curiosity got the best of him and he started to pay attention to what was being said. He almost groaned loudly when he realized they were talking about Jareid. Really! Was there no other topic of conversation in the entire palace? Tygra was going mad!

 

But Bengali was not the type to engage in meaningless gossip. So, Tygra listened anyway. Maybe he could at last hear something worth it.

 

“Come on sis. I know you had a crush on Jareid when we were younger, but it was not to be.”

 

“It could have!” Said the girl petulantly. Tygra was surprised to learn that she was Bengali’s sister. “The prince shagged anything on two legs that crossed his path. He still does. And you know it!”

 

“And would you have wanted that? Just a quick shag? Jareid never took any one seriously Amira. He’d have dumped you the same as the others.”

 

“You don’t know that!”

 

“Oh, I’m fairly certain of that! Besides, if he had wanted to, he’d have done you anyway. Then you’d have realized that he’s not the prince charming you were dreaming about.”

 

“Or, he would have fallen in love with me!”

 

“Amira…”

 

“We’ll never know because you stuck your head where no one wanted you to!”

 

“Look, maybe I implied that if he wanted something with you, it’d better be serious or there was going to be a problem with me. But I never said you were out of bounds. Besides, Jareid had no reason to take me seriously. We were what? Seventeen?”

 

“I’m sure you did something else Bengali!”

 

“I swear on the spirits I didn’t. What could I have done? You know I was an apprentice then, and I can’t use any magic against the royal family.”

 

“Really? Then explain to me why I got refused when I showed in Jareid’s bedroom, entirely naked, for him to take?”

 

Bengali must have been drinking something, because Tygra heard coughing and spluttering. The teen made a supreme effort to not laugh.

 

“You did what?! Amira! Are you mad?!”

 

“I was crazy enough for him, and I wanted him to be my fist and only one…”

 

“Amiraaaa!!”

 

“But he turned me down! He smiled at me and told me that I was beautiful, but not really his type! He put me into some clothes and said that it would feel like fucking his own sister! What do you have to say about it?!”

 

There was a moment pause, and then Bengali answered more relaxed.

 

“I say that it was pretty decent of him.”

 

“Ben!”

 

“Look sis, you know that he would never have taken you seriously. I truly believe that he was incapable of that.”

 

“Was? Do you really believe that he’d just stop sleeping around just because he’d be mated?”

 

“Well, he has stopped so far.”

 

“Really?” There was honest curiosity in the girl’s voice. Tygra also found himself perking up his ears. “Are you sure of that Bengali? He had never gone more than a month with the same bed partner. Maybe he’s just being discreet for a change.”

 

Bengali laughed, and answered amusedly.

 

“That, my dear sis, is another thing Jareid is completely incapable of. Besides, even if by some miracle he truly had learned the fine art of discretion, you know that the court will never do. Whoever had he bedded would have already screamed it at the top of his or her lungs by now.”

 

“Maybe not if it’s not a noble, or someone from outside of the palace.”

 

“Maybe. But I don’t really think so.”

 

A pause, and then the girl spoke again. She sounded surprised.

 

“You’re saying that he’s being faithful to the boy? Is it Jareid you’re talking about?”

 

“Of course it is! And believe it or not, the king is very satisfied about it.”

 

“Really? The king?”

 

“Of course. It’s been months without anyone bothering him with his son’s sexual scandals. And he’s very pleased that no one of the nobles has had any reason to go to him demanding that Jareid be betrothed to their offspring. The queen is also very happy. She believes that her son is finally maturing. Though I still have my doubts about that.”

 

“Weeell… It’s certainly a change. Maybe it’s just the novelty. There are no more tigers around, and if I remember correctly, you punched him in the face the one and only time he insinuated himself to you. Dad almost had a heart attack!”

 

Bengali chuckled, and Tygra was trying hard not to do the same. He didn’t want to be discovered.

 

“He was only joking. He returned the punch right away. And I don’t know about the novelty thing. He has been acting different.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well, he worries about Tygra’s health, and lately he has taken upon himself to inquire about what Tygra likes. He questioned Lion-O about that.”

 

Tygra almost let a gasp escape him. When had that happened?

 

“The little lion was very enthusiastic, and told him everything Tygra had preferred from when they were cubs to now. Jareid was very amused.”

 

Ooooh, his brother was going to die! How dare he?!

 

“He’s also trying to be romantic. He’s not giving Tygra gifts, or flowers, he’s sure that Tygra wouldn’t appreciate that. But he had arranged dinner or lunch for just the two of them on occasion, and he’s taking him to walk around the palace. I think he shown Tygra the stables the other day.”

 

That was true. Tygra had been fascinated with how big the stables were. He had thought that ridding was out of the question in the jungle, but there was a huge field for practice. Jareid had said that it was one of the king’s little pleasures. Bengali’s sister was chuckling.

 

“My, it seems that our prince is finally smitten with someone! Do you think it’d last?”

 

“I hope so. It’s doing Tygra a lot of good. He’s not so anguished any more. He’s adapting, and having an easier time coping with Jareid’s personality. I’m hopeful that he’d be able to be happy. Now, if only Jareid could have more control over his sexual behaviour…”

 

“Oh, brother! That’s asking for too much! But it seems that Jareid turned out to be a decent mate. And he could have been mine!”

 

“Amiraaaa!!!”

 

Tygra left the clinic. It was clear that the siblings would engage into some rather pointless discussion. He’d talk with Bengali later. It was odd, but he was actually feeling a bit better.

 


	5. Jealousy and its Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> Violence and mention of gore in this chapter.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

The hunters were gathering slowly in the courtyard. It was still early in the morning, but the practice was going to take all day, it was better to have a good start.

 

Tygra was waiting for everyone to be prepared. He was doing warm-up exercises while he waited. A few of the other trainees were doing the same, and one or two were still half- asleep. Tygra had been strongly reminded of Lion-O when he had seen those last.

 

Someone put a hand on his shoulder, and Tygra turned around to see Xalu. He was one of his fellow trainees, and one of the few friends he had made. He was a few months older than Tygra, with chiselled features, and a mane that fell down to his shoulders, often in a pony tail.

 

“Hey Tygra. How are you feeling? We thought you weren’t going to make it today. Many were almost certain that you’d be in the Shamans’ wing.”

 

Tygra huffed in annoyance. Time had gone by rather quickly. Soon it’d been nine months since his arrival, and some cats still saw him as a weak little kit. Even the ones his own age like Xalu.

 

But this time he couldn’t blame his friend for his concern. He too had been worried about his own physical integrity. The previous day they had been training on combat, and Jareid had intruded. Without so much as an excuse me, the prince simply had taken a staff, and put himself on guard in front of Tygra. The tiger had been scared out of his mind, but he couldn’t refuse. Not in front of the entire group of his fellow trainees.

 

So, they had fought. Tygra had been practicing and could handle the staff much better than the first time. He had been able to give a good combat. However, when he finally had been on the ground with Jareid over him, he had started to panic. Jareid had been very excited by the fight. So much in fact, that he had kissed and bitten the tiger’s neck right there. In front of everyone!

 

It had been the first time that Jareid displayed their relationship in public. Tygra had been aghast. For a moment he had been convinced that Jareid was going to continue and claim him right there. Fortunately for him, Jareid was not that much of an exhibitionist. But he did carry Tygra out of the courtyard over his shoulder, declaring that training was over for the day. Tygra just knew that everyone in the palace was certain this time that Jareid had fucked him. Which he had done. Roughly. But surprisingly he had had the presence of mind to prepare Tygra, so he hadn’t tear the teen apart like the first time. Tygra was very sore, but not incapacitated. It helped that he was more or less getting used to Jareid’s size.

 

“Yeah well I’m not. And there’s no reason for me to lose practice.”

 

The young jaguar looked at him in concern.

 

“Are you sure? I don’t want to pry, but I have heard that the prince can be pretty rough.”

 

The tiger flushed in embarrassment. He was never going to be comfortable discussing his sex-life. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see many of the other trainees taking an interest in his talk. He wanted to growl at them. While he could see that Xalu’s concern was genuine, the rest only wanted to get a juicy piece of gossip.

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that too. But I’m fine. There’s no need to be concerned Xalu.”

 

The jaguar narrowed his eyes, but nodded and let the subject drop.

 

“Oi, I heard that in a few weeks it’s going to be your birthday!”

 

Tygra groaned, but smiled at the same time. It had been Lion-O’s birthday some days ago, and the lion had made sure to tell everyone the date of his brother’s. There had been cake, and even some presents, so the young lion had been happy enough.

 

Tygra dreaded his birthday. He was going to be sixteen, and it’d also mean less than three months for the official ceremony of his mating. Though he didn’t know why he bothered. It wasn’t as if Jareid hadn’t already laid his claim on him. What could be the worst that could happen after all he had been through?

 

“Yeah. In just two weeks actually.”

 

“Cool.”

 

“Hey you two! Lieutenant Kab wants everyone in the south court!”

 

The two teens obeyed, and joined the rest of the team to start the warm up and receive instructions.

 

Meanwhile, another set of eyes observed the proceedings from one of the palace’s windows. Eyes that followed Tygra’s form with loathing.

 

Mai was one of Jareid’s last conquests from before the war with Thundera. One that was mightily pissed at the prince’s betrothal. She had believed herself practically on the throne, and was not taking well the news that it wasn’t to be. She had never had a chance to begin with, but she had deluded herself with the idea that Jareid was in love with her. It had been quite a shock for her that Jareid had not run into her arms the moment he had arrived home.

 

She gritted her teeth while she looked at the hunter’s trainees. She couldn’t believe that _a child_ had taken her place beside the prince! What had the king been thinking making such a pact? They could have easily erased Thundera from the face of Third Earth! They didn’t need any alliances with the damned lions!

 

Mai had been convinced that the king had forced his son into an unwanted arrangement, and had waited for Jareid to look for her, desperate for a way out of the mating contract. She of course would help him find one and be done with the tiger cub. But as the months had gone by, and no Jareid had come knocking to her door, she had grown upset.

 

She had gone to Jareid then. She had intended to remind him of the time they had spent together, to make him see that he had no reason to put up with his father’s pact. But she had been brushed aside. Jareid had told her that he didn’t have any more use of her, now that he had a mate.

 

She had been furious. How dare him replace her with that kit! The boy couldn’t possibly be attending to his needs! Surely he didn’t even know how!

 

There had been much talk around the court. The majority of the nobles were under the impression that the king had forced his son into a binding contract, and that somehow he was restraining Jareid and preventing him from acting as he used to. The older cats all thought that it was about time. The heir prince couldn’t be allowed to go prancing around like a common whore! Baal should have reined on his son’s urges long ago!

 

But some of the younger nobles weren’t so happy. Mai among them. One or two of Jareid’s occasional bed partners had still been nursing the fantasy to become the future king’s mate. Some had looked for Jareid, as Mai had, and had received the same farewell words as her. They were frankly puzzled at the prince’s behaviour. No one really believed that a young teenager like Tygra could possibly be enough for a cat like Jareid.

 

They of course had taken upon themselves the task of making the Thunderian prince aware of their existence. The brat should know what he had been signed into with a partner like Jareid. They had been sure that the boy would be freaked out to know about Jareid’s escapades. They thought he would ask Jareid for explanations and deny to share a bed with him, causing a rift between them that the nobles of the court would be quick to fill.

 

But apparently such thing had not happened. Tygra seemed immune to the court’s gossip, or he simply was ignoring it. The noble jaguars were miffed. Many of them had decided to ignore the boy. The fact that he’d be mated to the prince was inconsequential after all. Jareid was going to tire of him sooner or later, and would start to look for entertainment. There was no mating that couldn’t be broken later, and a consort was only a step away from being a mate.

 

Mai was not willing to wait. She was not going to debase herself to be a consort. She was meant to be the queen! She was not playing second fiddle to anyone, much less to some stupid child! She was going to recover Jareid. She only needed to dispose of the obstacle in her way.

 

She smiled evilly as she watched the group of trainees heading outside. The jungle had always been very dangerous. Much more for an outsider, who was still learning to find his own way through it. Accidents were bound to happen.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra ran as fast as he could through bushes and overgrown plants. He had almost died falling from a tree. He had been trying to avoid waking up an Iknal, a large, bad tempered animal that looked to him like a mixture between a reptile and a wild cat. He had run head first into poison ivy, and had found a colony of fire ants.

 

He was tired, but he couldn’t afford to stop. They had been told to go north. They had to cross the jungle and arrive at some unidentified spot about 10 miles from the starting point. They had to be quick. They had been given a 10 minutes distance from each other, and were supposed to keep the pace. If the jaguar behind them caught up there was going to be hell to pay. Tygra was being followed by Xalu, who was faster than him, so he couldn’t stop to rest.

 

He came across the river, and stopped to consider his options. Xalu hadn’t caught up to him yet, but Tygra suspected that was due to him being lost. It was the first time he saw the river. It was huge, easily eight meters wide, and its waters were running fast. If he tried to swim through it, the current will trap him and take him down the river, probably crushing him against the many rocks that littered the rapids.

 

He turned to one side and then the other. He couldn’t see anything he could use as a bridge, and there was no telling how long the river ran. He’d have to cross it.

 

He surveyed the rocks. He could use them. He’d hop from one to the other until he’d reach the other side.

 

Tygra jumped to the first rock. He almost lost his foot upon landing, but regained his equilibrium quickly. The surface was slippery, he had to be careful.

 

He almost got to the middle of the river when he heard a strange noise over the roar of the waters. The next second, pain coursed through his right calf. He cried out and slipped, falling into the water.

 

He desperately tried to keep afloat. The pain on his leg was killing him. He impacted against a rock and held onto it for dear life. He tried to climb it, but he couldn’t move easily. He could now feel that something was piercing his right leg from side to side. He was just trying to identify what it was when it was pulled hard. Tygra cried at the pain the pull provoked. The thing wouldn’t go out of his leg. Someone was trying to pull him.

 

He couldn’t grab onto the rock any longer. One more pull and he was under the water again, moving his hands desperately to try to get his head above the current. He hit another rock and this time he felt a hand around his ankle. He was pulled upside down out of the water, and he coughed a couple of times. He looked at his captor’s body, and recognized the uniform of a fully trained hunter.

 

“Look at this. I got myself a skinny fish.”

 

“Cough… cough… wha… what are you doing?”

 

Tygra tried to lift his head. He could see now the harpoon going trough his leg. He recognized the cat holding him. His name was Bali. He was one of the best hunters in the forces.

 

Bali took the harpoon and pulled it out of Tygra’s leg. The tiger screamed at the muscles being torn in such a way. The jaguar smiled maliciously at him.

 

“I’m just getting rid of the trash. Our prince deserves better! The alligators will take care of you.”

 

He lowered Tygra again, until the tiger’s head was once more under the water. Tygra moved his arms and left leg, desperately trying to free himself. He bent at his stomach and grabbed his legs to get his head out of the water.

 

“Oh no, you won’t.”

 

Bali captured the back of Tygra’s head and let go of the leg. Then he submerged the boy again and tried to keep him under the water. Tygra’s hands managed to grasp the one that was holding him down and scratched desperately. Bali roared in anger and pulled him out again to hit his face with a closed fist. Twice. The third hit went to Tygra’s abdomen, getting the air out of his lungs. The tiger’s body tried to curl in reflex and Bali pushed him under the water again, hitting the head against the rock for good measure.

 

Tygra couldn’t breathe. He was going to drown and there was no one to help him. The hit against the rock got him fully on his left temple. The world around him blackened out.

 

Bali was satisfied that his prey had stopped struggling. He’d hold the boy under the water for a few more minutes, just to be sure that he had drowned, and then he’d let him go.

 

Suddenly, a rock impacted with the back of his head. He released the tiger and turned around to see a net closing over him.

 

Xalu had been about to caught up to Tygra. He had been the last one to start the race, so their trainer had been right behind him. Xalu had reached the river just in time to see Bali holding Tygra from his bleeding leg. At first he hadn’t understood what was happening, but when he realized that Bali intended to drown Tygra he desperately looked around, trying to find a way to stop the jaguar. He was already prepared to throw a rock to the hunter when his trainer finally caught up to him.

 

They lost no more time. Xalu threw the rock and immediately dived into the river to intercept the tiger’s body. Kab had his weapon loaded with a fishing net, and shot. Bali was caught nicely. Kab pulled and dragged the other jaguar to his side of the river. There was a short fight between them that ended with Kab pressing Bali’s head to the ground, and calling for reinforcements via radio.

 

Xalu was already fishing Tygra out of the river. He struggled with his friend’s weight, and was close to drown himself while trying to keep them both afloat. Kab helped him once Bali was restrained and got both teenagers out of the water. Xalu coughed his lungs out, while Kab was desperately giving Tygra first aids and mouth-to-mouth respiration. Xalu joined in once he got himself somewhat under control. Between the two of them they managed to get Tygra breathing again.

 

The young tiger expelled a good deal of the water that had filled his lungs and coughed uncontrollably. Xalu helped him to lie on his side, as the reinforcements arrived and the royal guard took command of the situation.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra woke up with a terrible headache, and feeling his lungs burning. He moaned in pain and immediately heard Lion-O’s voice at his side.

 

“Tygra? Ben! Tygra’s waking up!”

 

The tiger moaned again and opened his eyes. His entire body ached, and his mouth and throat felt dry. Lion-O was looking at him with tears in his eyes.

 

“Wha… ‘ppen?”

 

“Tygra you asshole! Don’t scare me like that!”

 

“Come on prince Lion-O, allow your brother some space. I need to check him.”

 

Tygra saw Bengali coming behind Lion-O. The young lion unhappily made way for the Shaman to check the tiger over, while Tygra remembered what had happened. At the end, the white tiger helped him to sit up on the bed, supporting his back with the pillows. Lion-O took his place again, sitting beside his brother.

 

“For all the spirits Tygra. You gave us a good scare this time.”

 

“’s not my fault.”

 

“Of course not. Thankfully you didn’t drown. Your face is a disaster right now though. You have several bruises, a concussion, and one deep gash on your right calf. The muscles are going to take sometime to heal. Your lungs are clean now, only a bit sensitive. You’d be better in no time.”

 

“What happened Tygra?” Asked Lion-O in concern. It wasn’t like his brother to have an accident, and no one had told him anything.

 

Tygra was about to answer, and inquire about his attacker, when the door to his right opened and an irate Jareid entered, yelling to someone at the top of his lungs.

 

“Don’t give me that shit! No one is stopping me from seeing my mate!”

 

The jaguar approached the bed decidedly. One young apprentice behind him, looking helplessly at Bengali.

 

“I’m sorry Shaman Bengali, he insisted.”

 

“It’s ok Sarai, you can leave.”

 

The girl scurried away as fast as she could. Bengali looked disapprovingly at his prince, but Jareid didn’t pay him any attention. His entire focus was on Tygra.

 

The tiger trembled. It was evident that Jareid was very angry. He swallowed a couple of times, but didn’t dare to open his mouth.

 

Jareid approached the right side of the bed, working himself into quite a state as he inspected the damage his mate had taken. It did nothing but fuel his anger to see Tygra’s face. The tiger’s head was bandaged. He had a purple eye and cheek, and evidently a broken nose. Jareid lifted the bedcovers in one violent movement and his face contorted in fury. There were many minor bruises, a mayor one on the teen’s abdomen, and his right calf was heavily bandaged.

 

With a low, angry growl, he let the covers go and looked at the face of his trembling mate, fists clenching and fur standing on end.

 

“Who did this?”

 

Tygra was very scared. He knew that Jareid was easy to anger, but he had never seen the jaguar this furious. He didn’t know how much of that fury was directed at him, so he started talking, telling everything that had happened until he had lost consciousness. Jareid’s growl intensified and turned to Bengali. By then Lion-O was trembling too, and hugging his brother tightly, looking at the jaguar with wide, fearful eyes.

 

“Where is he?”

 

Bengali blinked. He had seen his fare share of Jareid’s anger, but nothing like this. He felt confused, realizing that only his training was keeping him from shivering and exposing his neck in submission. It’d be a very bad idea to deny Jareid anything right now.

 

“Bali is in a holding cell. The king is waiting for Tygra to wake up to question him… Jareid wait!”

 

The jaguar roared and got out of the clinic with murder in his eyes. Bengali stood looking at the door, plain and utterly baffled for several seconds. Then he grabbed his communicator and pushed a few buttons quickly. Tygra looked at him, still in fear, and trying to soothe Lion-O.

 

“Hello Jeron. It’s Bengali… Yes, he’s awake, but listen. You have to seal the holding cells and enforce the guard. Jareid is on his way there, and he’s furious…. I know that King Baal has not passed judgment yet! I don’t think the prince cares! … Just do as I say! Believe me, if Jareid gets to Bali’s cell you’re not gonna like it! … Yes, I’m going for the king.”

 

Bengali cut out the communication, and gave a deep breath. Then he looked at the two siblings and sighed.

 

“I have to go and get the king. You two are going to be alright?”

 

Both cats nodded and Bengali smiled at them. He got out of the clinic in search of Baal.

 

As soon as they were alone, the brothers breathed better, and Lion-O reclined his head on Tygra’s shoulder.

 

“Tygra, what’s he gonna do?”

 

The tiger sighed. He wasn’t sure where Jareid had disappeared to, but he was glad it was away from them.

 

“I don’t know. But don’t worry, he’s not gonna hurt you.”

 

The two siblings relaxed and stayed in each others arms for a while.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jeron was puzzled at the amount of urgency and panic in Bengali’s voice. He ordered to double the guard, but sealing the cells seemed unnecessary. He thought that the Shaman was exaggerating. That was until he saw Jareid walking down the hall. He couldn’t even react on time.

 

The guards never knew what hit them. One moment they were standing on duty, and the next they were a crumpled pile on the floor, trying desperately to untangle themselves from one another while hearing loud roaring and terrified screams from one of the cells.

 

&&&&&&&

 

King Baal looked in astonishment at the bloody mess that had been Bali’s cell. He wasn’t against the final result. He had already decided that Bali was to be set as an example. Treason was not tolerated, and Tygra was already part of the royal family, the people had to get that fact into their collective minds. He had just not expected the kind of example his son had provided.

 

He long ago had accepted the fact that Jareid had some serious anger management problems, but honestly! Had it really been necessary to scare the prison guard out of their wits?

 

Granted, it had been the prison’s commander’s own fault. The cat had already reported, still trembling with adrenaline, that Shaman Bengali had called before Jareid’s arrival, and had strongly suggested to seal the cells. Suggestion that had been ignored because… well, because no one had really expected Jareid to do something like this! Not even Baal had expected this kind of reaction. Sure, he had known that his son was going to scream for blood at the top of his lungs, but the last thing he had expected was for Jareid going feral and extracting the blood himself.

 

And just to make things more interesting, Bengali had called by the radio not two minutes ago bordering on hysteria. Apparently, once he had finished in the cells Jareid had sequestered Tygra from the clinic, and was now secluded in his rooms with him. So now they also had a very upset and scared lion demanding to see his brother.

 

The king sighed and shook his head. This was going to require a long talk with the council, some bribery, and strong threatening for no one to go outside the palace telling tales that the prince had gone mental. He will of course talk with the guard to do damage control. Also, he and his councillors had to prepare what to say to the people. They had to give a very good reason for an execution not being public, especially considering the crime. He hoped that the Shamans would be able to do something for the body to be presentable; otherwise they were going to have a hard time explaining _this mess_ to the deceased’s family. He’d leave the lion to his queen to sort out. Xilara had always been good with kits.

 

Baal grunted and left the cell. It seemed like he was always cleaning up his son’s indiscretions, one way or the other. Oh, fatherhood joy!

 

Well, at least this time it wasn’t someone claiming to be pregnant.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was trying to put his breath under control, calm himself, and think. The smell of blood, fear, and anger was making it very difficult.

 

He had been terrified when Jareid had shown up in the clinic, entirely covered in blood, and had proceeded to lift him from the bed, and carry him outside. Lion-O had yelled, and Jareid had growled menacingly at him. Tygra had wriggled, trying to fight the jaguar’s hold, but Jareid had bitten his neck, and the sheer amount of adrenaline that the prince had been exuding had nearly knocked Tygra out.

 

The tiger was still trembling with fear. He didn’t know where Jareid had taken him. He only knew that he was horizontal and Jareid was practically curled around him. The jaguar had taken off the head bandage, and was now grooming Tygra’s head and face. The tiger was afraid that Jareid had gone psychotic on him. Luckily, the older cat had apparently calmed down. Now Tygra wanted Jareid off him, but he didn’t know what he could do, or say, that didn’t make the rage return.

 

“J… Jareid?”

 

The jaguar grunted and lifted himself a bit. Tygra could see his blood splattered face, and blue eyes that still had a hint of madness in them. He licked his lips nervously.

 

“Y-you… are dirty.” He pointed out lamely.

 

Jareid blinked at him, and then chuckled.

 

“My little tiger. Yeah, I suppose I could use a shower.”

 

He got up, and released Tygra. The tiger sat up quickly, and followed Jareid’s movements with stolen breath. He felt like prey that had been taken to the predator’s den to be consumed. Jareid took his chin, and kissed his lips tenderly.

 

“You wait for me right here, understood? I don’t want you wandering around and hurting your leg.”

 

Tygra nodded. The smell of blood still had his nerves on edge. He was starting to wonder where all that blood had come from. The jaguar didn’t look injured. He looked as Jareid hopped down and walked away to disappear through a door, and then released his breath.

 

What had happened? Tygra needed to see his brother and check if he was all right. He hoped that Bengali had gotten a hold of the lion.

 

The thought of the white tiger made him groan. Bengali was not going to be happy to not find him in the clinic.

 

Well, it wasn’t exactly his fault, was it? Jareid had clearly gone mad on them. Tygra shivered again and tried to forget the blood, hoping against hope that the jaguar hadn’t done something terrible.

 

He looked around him for the first time and gulped. It definitely was Jareid’s room. It was an ample space, which central piece was the huge bed where Tygra was presently sitting at. It was covered with forest green sheets. He didn’t recognize the wood it was made of, but the design of the frame resembled strong vines curling around themselves. It was on some kind of platform, so it gave the impression to be floating. The floor was also a dark green.

 

Behind the bed, was a full wall window. It, combined with the white walls, inundated the room in light, and made it look bigger.

 

There was a big mahogany cabinet to his left, just beside the door that clearly was of the changing room and the bathroom. At the other side of said door, was a chest of drawers. On the front wall was a set of shelves with several weapons in display, and a painting of the river and the jungle. Close to the painting there was a small table, a cosy armchair and an ottoman. To the right was an arch that led to what looked like a study. There were no more doors in sight.

 

Tygra sighed, and looked at his leg. It felt dull, it was probably full of anaesthetics. He didn’t think that he could walk, besides, he wouldn’t dare to disobey Jareid so soon after seeing that display of rage.

 

He tried to make himself comfortable, and arranged the pillows to recline on them. The bedding was light, but he didn’t need any covers, despite being only clad in comfortable shorts. It was warm in the room.

 

Jareid finished his shower and went out of the changing room wearing a pair of purple pants. Tygra was still on the bed, evidently nervous, and biting his lip self-consciously. Jareid smiled at him, and tried to not get angry again at the sight of his mate’s injuries. There was nothing more to kill after all, and he needed to reassure his tiger.

 

He was mostly dry, so he returned to the bed and started to massage the back of Tygra’s neck to make him relax.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“I… a bit scared actually. What did you do?”

 

Jareid kissed his temple tenderly, and nuzzled his cheek with his nose.

 

“Don’t think about it. You’re quitting the training. You’re not leaving my sight anymore.”

 

“W-what?!”

 

Tygra bristled. He forcefully pushed Jareid away, and growled at the same time as the jaguar.

 

“No! My leg will heal soon enough! I can return then!”

 

“You’re not Tygra! You’re not setting foot in the jungle again, you hear me!”

 

“No! You can’t do this!”

 

He tried to wriggle out of Jareid’s reach, but the jaguar held him by the arms, and pushed him flat on the mattress. Tygra cried in outrage and frustration.

 

“Listen to me! I’m not letting you go where you can be so easily hurt! You’re staying here, safe, even if I have to lock you in the room!”

 

“I’m not a bloody kitten! I can take care of myself! Aaaugh!!”

 

Jared bit him on the neck. Hard. It was agony, and Tygra’s instincts kicked in, forcing him to go limp under the dominant male. Tears clouded his eyes and he made an effort to stop them from shedding. He breathed deeply as Jareid released his neck, still growling at him.

 

“I’m not losing you Tygra! Do you understand that? No one is taking you away from me! Not ever!”

 

Tygra was dumbfounded at the desperation in Jareid’s voice. He had never wanted the mating, but it seemed that for Jareid it was much more than it looked. He breathed again and tried to reason with the jaguar. Jareid loved to see him submissive, maybe he could use that to his advantage.

 

He let his tears fall and exposed his neck, carefully avoiding looking directly at the older prince.

 

“I’m not going anywhere. Please, I’m not a decoration. I can’t live in a cage, however beautiful it is. I’ll go insane if the door never opens. I love the activity. I need to do something to keep my mind away from worrying and thinking too much. Please, don’t take that away. I promise to be more careful, and to not let my guard down. Please…”

 

Jareid growled again, this time in frustration. He licked the ghastly mark he had done in the tiger’s neck, and Tygra gasped.

 

“Infuriating little cat.” He sighed and fought with himself for a minute. “Fine. But you better keep yourself in one piece.”

 

Tygra released the breath he had been holding, and rubbed his cheek against Jareid’s jaw.

 

“Thank you.”

 

“You’re such a piece of work. And you’re staying here from now on. I don’t care if it’s not official yet! My mate is sleeping with me!”

 

Tygra managed to gave a small ok. Lion-O wasn’t going to be happy. Bengali either. But it probably wouldn’t matter. Tygra had already learned that Jareid always got what he wanted.

 

The jaguar gave a low purr of contentment, and curled himself again around his mate, effectively isolating them both from the rest of the world.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Meanwhile, in another part of the palace, the Chief Commander Myron walked into the wing destined to the court.

 

Many members of the council, and some high-ranking officials, had sets of rooms assigned to them in the palace, and used them frequently. Some of them even lived there and were rarely seen in their own homes. Myron didn’t really like it, but it was convenient to have a place to stay when the guard shifts were long or some emergency required his presence. Though lately it was an excuse for his daughter to stay in the palace ‘till un-namely hours, claiming that she didn’t want to stay alone in their home.

 

The commander clenched his fists. He should have paid closer attention to his offspring. He had known that letting her stay was calling for problems!

 

He entered his rooms, and there was his daughter in the sitting room, chatting with some of her friends, no doubt already spilling gossip about the recent events. Myron coughed loudly, and the talk stopped. Every set of young eyes looked at him startled.

 

“If you excuse us ladies, I have something to say to my daughter.”

 

“Oh daddy, you can tell me in front of them, they’re my best friends…”

 

“This is private! So, ladies…”

 

The females scurried away, sensing the commander’s bad mood. As soon as the last girl closed the door, Mai looked reproachfully at her father.

 

“Dad, what is this…?”

 

“Shut up! Are you aware of what had happened today?”

 

The girl looked affronted, and then shrugged trying to fake ignorance.

 

“Well, some say that there was a commotion in the cells, and that Jareid’s little pet was in the healer’s wing. Surely the brat had an accident and some poor guy is going to take the blame for it…”

 

“Enough! There was no accident, and you know it pretty well.”

 

Mai looked taken aback. She almost stuttered as she tried to collect her wits.

 

“Dad, I-I don’t know what you…”

 

“Don’t you dare lie to me Mai! I saw you whispering with Bali yesterday after the prince’s rather rash display of affection, and very early this morning! I didn’t think too much of it, until midday when hunter Kab called because of an emergency. I got to talk with the cat without witnesses because I was the one to take him back to the palace on my pod!”

 

The female jaguar fidgeted nervously, knowing very well that her father would not approve of her method to have Jareid back. He had never approved of her liaison with the prince at all. Still, she was ready to try and deny whatever Bali had told her father, but the next words of the commander froze her.

 

“I’ve never been most ashamed in my entire life. I’d never thought that I could ever rue the day you were born. You! I’ve raised a traitor! And still I can’t help but being grateful that the prince finished Bali off before king Baal had a chance to question him!”

 

Mai gaped at her father. He had never spoken to her like that. She awkwardly tried to compose herself, to say something in her own defence.

 

“I-I… I’m not a traitor… I’m not! T-that brat…!”

 

“Is Jareid’s betrothed! As much part of the Royal Family as the prince is! Couldn’t you get that through your head?”

 

“He’s an outsider! He doesn’t have any right…!”

 

“He’s part of a peace treaty! A peace that would have been broken when the lion king were informed of his son’s demise!”

 

“So what? We can easily destroy them!”

 

“We can! That doesn’t mean we need to! And beyond that Mai, do you realize that you intended to terminate two lives without reason? Bali would have ended up dead anyway! Jareid was feral when he attacked him! What did you expect the prince to do to someone who had attempted against his betrothed’s life?”

 

“Jareid was never to know! It’d have been an accident! And you know how he is, he’d have forgotten all about the brat soon enough and go back to his usual self. He’d have returned to me!”

 

“Don’t you get it Mai? A cat is dead because of you! Because of your stupid fantasy that somehow paints the prince in love with you!”

 

“It’s not a stupid fantasy! Jareid loves me! And I’m going to be his queen!”

 

“He’d have no queen! He’d have a royal mate, and surely at least one consort, but not a queen! And I’m going to make sure that you don’t cause any more unnecessary deaths!”

 

Mai was going to protest. That Bali was dead had not been her fault. The stupid cat was not supposed to let anyone know that he had killed Tygra, much less Jareid. But before she could open her mouth, Myron grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the rooms.

 

“Wait dad! Where are we going?”

 

“You’re going to see exactly what you provoked. I can see that you still don’t understand.”

 

“But… but dad!”

 

“Silence!”

 

Myron dragged his daughter to the cells. Bali’s body was just about to be collected. The Chief Commander asked for the High Shaman to give him a couple of minutes, and the cat acceded a bit doubtful.

 

“Are you sure you want your daughter to see this Myron? Not only it’d be a shock to her, also the King wants this to be conducted with the most discretion.”

 

“Have no fear Xiar. She’s not going to say a thing. I’m tired of her joking around with her friends about how amusing it’d be to have the prince angry with someone. They had been planning to incite rumours about Tygra fooling around with one of them. Perhaps seeing what Jareid is capable of would dissuade her from spreading lies.”

 

The Shaman looked at the girl disapprovingly. Mai crossed her arms and turned away.

 

“Very well. But be quick, we need to start on the body right away.”

 

“Of course.”

 

The Shaman left them alone and Myron dragged his daughter to the cell, and practically pushed her inside.

 

Mai froze in shock. Everything was covered in blood. What remained of Bali’s body was scattered around the cell. Bones, entrails, fur, everything. The girl put a hand over her mouth. She was going to be sick. She wanted to turn away, but her father held her in place.

 

“Take a good look Mai. Tygra is betrothed to Jareid. Jareid considers him his. This is what the prince does to cats that try to take away what belongs to him!”

 

Mai stuttered and was sick on the stone floor. Her father pulled her up un-relentless.

 

“You’re going to the house, and you’re staying there for good! You’re never entering the palace again, and you’re never talking to any member of the Royal Family, or the court. If you do, I’d tell the prince that the entire attack on his betrothed was your idea!”

 

Mai could only nod in fear.

 


	6. Settling and Reflexions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

As predicted, Lion-O was not happy with the news that his brother was to share a room with Jareid. Xilara explained to him that in this way his brother would be more protected from people that wished him harm. The lion understood the reasoning, but was still unsatisfied, specially because Jareid would not let him see his brother. The jaguar prince was adamant that no one but Bengali was allowed inside his private sanctuary. Tygra’s leg needed time to heal, so he wasn’t going anywhere outside the room anytime soon. Both brothers were getting desperate.

 

Finally, after three days of tension and general unhappiness, Tygra had to beg Jareid to let Lion-O visit. He also got to continue his lessons. Jareid’s study was connected to an ample sitting room, where Tygra’s tutor and his brother were allowed to visit. The Thunderian princes were miffed at the restrictions, but there was nothing they could do about them. Tygra didn’t know why the king was humouring his son’s paranoia, but he kept his mouth shut, though he grew concerned about Lion-O’s safety. He talked about it with Jareid, and Baal had the lion moved to the Royal apartments, so he could be closer to his brother.

 

It was a tough week for Tygra, but he survived Jareid’s bout of over-protectiveness and moved on.

 

By the time his birthday arrived, his leg was practically recovered and he could get out to the gardens to walk and exercise the muscles a bit. Lion-O went with him, and they had a quiet lunch under a lemon tree.

 

Tygra had a hard time sitting and standing. His right leg had taken a great amount of damage and was still very tender. He disliked that he still needed the crutches to help support himself, specially at the end of the day.

 

Bengali had instructed him to not overtax his leg, but he was desperate to heal and restart his regular routine. So, he suffered from cramps from time to time. Like the one Lion-O was helping him with, just as they were sitting for lunch.

 

“Agh! Whiskers! This is never going to heal properly!”

 

“It’s your own fault! Bengali said to not overdo the exercise, you dummy! You’re lucky it’s healing at all, your muscles were completely shredded, even the bone took some damage.”

 

“I know! I’m lucky they could do the reconstructive surgery almost immediately. And I’m even more lucky that Jareid didn’t manage to ruin it, taking me out of the clinic as he did.”

 

Lion-O chuckled. Though at the moment he had been very scared, in retrospective it seemed funny the way the jaguar prince had carried his anguished brother, bride style, to his rooms. Tygra huffed in annoyance, and Lion-O turned serious.

 

“Is he treating you well Tygra?”

 

The tiger almost spluttered, and he scowled at his brother.

 

“Wha…? Lion-O, that’s a question you ask to a sister!”

 

“It’s not! It’s a question you ask when you’re concerned!”

 

Lion-O crossed his arms, clearly affronted. Tygra rolled his eyes in exasperation.

 

“Well?”

 

“What?”

 

“Is he treating you well or not?”

 

Tygra went several shades of pink and grumbled under his breath.

 

“He’s been nice enough.”

 

Lion-O considered the answer, and nodded.

 

“Good. I’d have to talk to him if he wasn’t.”

 

Tygra chuckled and punched his brother playfully on the arm.

 

“Auch!”

 

“You, brat, aren’t supposed to be worrying about me. I’m the big brother. I’ll do the worrying.”

 

“Smartass.”

 

“Yeah, well, why don’t you tell me what exactly is the model you gave me this morning?”

 

Lion-O’s eyes brightened. He had gifted Tygra a scale model of a battle tank that he had put together himself. It was metallic and opened to show the inside. The lion was pretty exited, explaining how the engine was supposed to work, and all the power it could manage.

 

Tygra was amused at the passion his brother showed when talking about technology, and teased him a little on the matter. It was Lion-O’s turn to punch his arm and look a bit indignant, but his gesture softened soon enough, and a sincere smile graced his lips. Tygra lifted an eyebrow at him.

 

“You’re better. You’re more like yourself again.”

 

Tygra sighed and gave a half smile.

 

“I suppose I’m feeling more like myself too. Now, if only I could restart training already, I’d be much happier.”

 

Lion-O chuckled and pushed his brother lightly.

 

“You are always thinking about training.”

 

“Well, not all of us are utterly marvelled with technology.”

 

Lion-O stuck out his tongue at him.

 

“You’re just sore I was right.”

 

Tygra rolled his eyes, but grew serious and considered his brother. He had been avoiding the theme, but maybe Lion-O needed to talk.

 

“Do you miss home Lion-O?”

 

The lion shrugged and looked down.

 

“Sometimes. I miss father more. And Jaga. But I like it here. I actually like my lessons. And here you don’t hate me anymore.”

 

Tygra was taken aback by his brother’s answer. He reached out to pull on the lion’s wrist and made him look up.

 

“Wha… Lion-O, I’d never hated you. What gave you that idea?”

 

The lion shrugged again, and bit his lip.

 

“It’s just… you never played with me anymore, and Grune was always saying that you could be king if I’d never existed. You’re better than me, everyone could see that.”

 

“Lion-O…”

 

“But it’s ok. We’re here now. I’m not the heir anymore, so you don’t have to be angry at me.”

 

Tygra sighed and pulled his brother against himself to hug him. It was true that in Thundera he had been starting to ignore the young lion. He had been resentful and bitter because his tutors, and pretty much everyone, Claudus included, were always comparing the two of them. He had always come on top, but all it did was to make him remember the painful fact that Claudus was not his blood father. He was the adopted prince. He had never truly belonged in the royal family. It just hurt that his brother had something he couldn’t, no matter how much he tried. But none of it was his baby brother’s fault.

 

He felt Lion-O returning the hug, clinging to him like a lifeline, and he caressed the messy red mane that was on his shoulder.

 

“You’re a silly cub. I could never hate my little brother. You’re just annoying sometimes.”

 

Lion-O grunted and muttered something that sounded vaguely as “I’m not a cub.”

 

Tygra chuckled, and with a last hug he released Lion-O, and declared that they had to eat lunch before Bengali went looking for them.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Baal was contemplating murder in the near future.

 

Why had he had any offspring again? Oh, yes. He had had to produce an heir.

 

The king growled in annoyance. He didn’t have anything personal against his offspring. In fact, his Yeana was a precious cub that behaved adoringly. But he swore that Jareid had been meant to be a litter of five! It had been quite the pain to raise him from the moment he had discovered what crying was for!

 

Presently, the king was trying to repair the last of the damage that his son’s violent revenge on Bali had done. It hadn’t been easy to put the guard and council at rest, nor had it been to control the information that had actually made it to the rest of the court. But it had been done. Now, there was still the little problem of letting Tygra rejoin the training, without fear of bloody retribution if the tiger got hurt for whatever reason.

 

The king, his First Councillor, the High Shaman, the Chief Commander, the Head of the Hunters, and Lieutenant Kab were discussing the possibilities and trying to reach an agreement.

 

“Oh, for the spirits’ sake! Bali deliberately tried to kill Tygra! He got what was coming to him anyway. You surely don’t think that someone is going to be foolish enough to repeat the feat?”

 

There was uncomfortable fidgeting around. A murder attempt was indeed very rare among the jaguars. The only reason why Bali had been so close to succeed was that no one had really considered that Tygra could become a target. The tiger was technically a prisoner of war, one that clearly belonged to the prince. Everyone could see that Jareid had already claimed the teen as some kind of personal possession, and it was common knowledge that the prince had no tolerance at all with cats that tried to take anything from him. No one had believed that there could be someone stupid enough, or suicidal enough, to incur Jareid’s wrath.

 

But it had happened, and now the war council was trying to go through every scenario to prevent it from happening again. Baal was getting tired. The ridiculous ideas some of them could concoct!

 

“There is not going to be any sudden rampage through the jungle to exterminate every single fire ant colony there is! Honestly! Are you mad?!”

 

The Chief Commander had the decency to look properly chastised. Eékatl, the Head of the Hunters, coughed nervously.

 

“Well, perhaps we are starting to go over the board. But Baal, you have to admit that Jareid’s reaction is something to worry about.”

 

“Now that he’s an adult? He has always been like this!”

 

The Shaman was the one to talk this time.

 

“In a way yes. We all know that Jareid has always been unstable, and very prone to violence. That he has a very hard time controlling his emotions. But he had never done something like this. He was feral Baal. No one could do anything to stop him. At the moment we have no idea of how he’d react if Tygra gets hurt in any other way.”

 

“A shame, really.” Said Kaleb, the First Councillor. “I was really liking the way Jareid had been conducting himself lately.”

 

They all agreed with that. It had been quite nice to be able to discuss important government issues with the rest of the council without getting interrupted every time by complaints about Jareid’s trampling. The jaguar had been acting differently, more responsible, and actually listening at council meetings. No one had missed the obsession he had developed with Tygra, but everyone had happily ignored it. They had all been convinced that having the tiger had been good for their prince. Now though, they weren’t so sure.

 

“So what do we do then? Put him into a sterile sphere? Life happens! Tygra is bound to be hurt someday! We can’t isolate him from the entire world! It’d be the same as killing him.”

 

“Maybe it’s a mot point.” Said Kab. “As insanely possessive as Jareid is behaving, maybe he wouldn’t hear about Tygra rejoining training. He can very well just forbid it.”

 

“He won’t.” Baal said offhandedly. His closest counsellors looked at him expectantly.

 

“Are you sure about that? It was a fight to have his tutor continuing his lessons. If he could he would have kept the boy in the bedroom forever!”

 

Baal shrugged derisively.

 

“Just yesterday, the lion asked at dinner if Bengali had cleared Tygra for training. The boy informed him that he’d have to wait one more week. Jareid said nothing. He only nodded when I asked if he agreed. I can tell he’s not happy with it, but apparently he is not going to prevent Tygra from doing it.”

 

That gave everyone something to think. The Shamans had been very concerned when Jareid had taken Tygra out of the clinic. Many had been sure that no one was going to see the tiger out of Jareid’s rooms ever again. Baal had actually been relieved when Tygra’s tutor had reported that the boy looked well enough, and was applying to his studies as always. Not that he had ever doubted Bengali when the younger Shaman had said that Tygra was fine, his relief had been more because the tiger had been allowed to see someone else, besides his assigned healer and brother.

 

Baal would never accept it out loud, but he knew that his son had the tendency to consider people as things. Tygra had been like a gift, and Baal had fully expected Jareid to treat the young tiger accordingly. His son had troubles getting around the idea that other cats had rights too. He had hoped that Jareid would be curious enough about an outsider to try a different approach with him, the way it had seemed to work with Bengali. Baal couldn’t complain. If one blatantly ignored the first month, and how anguished and depressed the tiger had been then, one could say that things had gone even better than expected. And then someone had to go and ruin it.

 

Finally Kab spoke again.

 

“Look, I have nothing against Tygra returning to train. The lad is very good. One of the best really. I’m only concerned about the safety of the rest of my unit. There are bound to be disagreements, and envy. It’s always the same. There’d be jokes, and pranks, maybe even a bit of bullying. I’d feel better if I had the certainty that the prince would know the difference between an ill thought prank and a murder attempt.”

 

“Why don’t we ask him directly?” Said Kaleb. “We all had been happy that he has finally been acting more like the prince he is. This discussion is very much about his recently poor judgment at one specific situation. He shall be here and compromise himself with what he did. He must be the one to decide if he’d be able to control himself if Tygra gets roughed up during training.”

 

“I agree.” Said Myron. “He has taken training himself. He’s no stranger to the kind of things that can happen.”

 

Everyone agreed to the idea. Baal called a servant and sent for his son, truly happy that he didn’t have to make excuses for him to be excluded from a discussion.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

There was cake at dinner, and the Royal Family wished Tygra a happy birthday. They gifted him a set of battle knifes, specially crafted for the jungle. Little Yeana gave him a hug, and declared that Jareid better take good care of him, or she might have to hit him. Tygra groaned and blushed in embarrassment. He tried to cover it behind Yeana’s abundant mane, but he could feel amused eyes on him.

 

The little party was very simple, but Tygra was in fact thankful for that. He was still coming to terms with his new status in life, and still missed his home very much. He was not ready for big congregations. When they had celebrated Jareid’s birthday, Tygra had practically hid behind Bengali the entire time.

 

Once dinner was finished, and the king declared that everyone was free to go rest, Jareid took Tygra in arms and carried him away. The tiger gave an indignant yelp and tried to get the jaguar to put him down. Jareid ignored his protests and just continued their way to their rooms. Tygra groaned and put his head down in defeat. He hated to be convalescent. It only gave Jareid an excuse to carry him everywhere he could, and embarrass him.

 

They entered the bedroom, and Jareid put him on the bed. The jaguar gave him a passionate kiss and smiled.

 

“Wait here. I’m going to check that everything is ready.”

 

Tygra looked as Jareid disappeared through the changing room. Then he sighed, and looked around him. It was still very much Jareid’s room. There were only small indications of Tygra’s presence. His whip was on a shelf, a picture of himself and Lion-O had joined the many that Jareid treasured on top of the chest, he knew that his books were scattered around the study, and his clothes now occupied a relatively small space in the walk-in closet. But it still felt and smelt like Jareid’s bedroom and Tygra still felt just one more of the jaguar’s possessions in it.

 

He wished he could have his own room back, but he knew that Jareid would never allow that. They were mates. Mates lived and slept together. Tygra didn’t have a need for a separate bedroom anymore.

 

The tiger sighed and closed his eyes. His teeth nibbled furiously the inside of his mouth, as he mentally repeated the mantra he had used every night to reaffirm his resolve.

 

_‘He’s my mate, not my owner. I must see him as my mate. He can hurt me, but he’s not gonna do it because he promised. He’s my mate. I must obey him and not make him angry. He’s my mate. I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be happy. Like Bengali said. I just have to get used to him. I have no other choice. For my people’s sake. For my sake. He’s my mate.’_

 

Jareid returned with a satisfied smile on his face, and lifted Tygra in his arms. The tiger gave a surprised yelp and glared at the jaguar.

 

“Come. We’re having a bath, and then I’m going to pamper you.”

 

“I can walk, you know?”

 

Jareid chuckled and kissed his temple. Tygra protested with a growl.

 

“Of course you can. But I love carrying you, and Bengali clearly said that you’re not to force your leg. I’m sure that you ignored the crutches as much as you could, so now you have to let the muscles rest and relax.”

 

Perfect. Now he was listening to what Bengali had to say! Tygra gave a resigned grumble and pouted.

 

The bathroom was huge. It was divided in two sections. The first one was a common, but ample, bathroom, with toilet, sink and shower. Luxurious and big. The other section was like a private spa. Instead of a bathtub, there was what Tygra called a mini-pool. He swore a six years old cub could happily learn to swim in it. It was only a meter and a half deep, and it had a bench along the perimeter and one in the middle, wide enough for a cat to sit down with the water up to chest, recline, and relax. The water’s temperature could be modified at will, and there were little whirlpools that sent jets of water.

 

There was also a small clay chamber, with benches inside, and something that reminded Tygra of a campfire. It was a hole in the centre of the chamber, where you could light a small fire and put stones in it. Once the stones were hot red, you poured a previously prepared infusion of herbs over them. The chamber then filled with aromatic vapour. Jareid said it was called a “Temazcal” and it was supposed to be relaxing and to purify your mind and soul. There was one in the King’s private garden, as it was meant to be in the open. The one in Jareid’s bath had been constructed with the necessary adjustments for it to be well aired and safe.

 

The last element of the bathroom was a massage bed. It was behind a curtain in a secluded space, which also contained a cabinet with the necessary oils and other implements for various types of massage. Jareid also used the oils for other activities, and Tygra was distrustful of them.

 

The three things looked ready to use, and the tiger was instantly nervous. Jareid, he had learned, had plenty of stamina, and it was tiring and very difficult for Tygra to keep up with the jaguar’s demands. Jareid liked rough play, and lately he had been treating the tiger none too gently. Apparently his patience and propose to go slow with the teen could only last so long. Tygra shivered in a mixture of fear and anticipation thinking about the things that aroused Jareid. Having the tiger tied down to the bed was one of them, and the teen could not get comfortable with the feeling of utter helplessness that such a position implied. Strangely enough, the times they played with bondage, and when the jaguar was rougher, were the ones his body seemed to enjoy the most. It was making Tygra start to question his sanity.

 

He made an effort to squelch his fears. Even though Jareid had been increasingly rough with him, and had already introduced Tygra to the use of toys, he had also been careful, and hadn’t hurt the tiger to the point of incapacitating him in months. Besides, even Jareid couldn’t have prepared the vapour with sex in mind. Right?

 

Tygra trembled, realizing that he was not so sure of that. Jareid could think of sex in any kind of situation, or so he had heard.

 

He shook his head and berated himself for having ever listened to gossip.

 

Jareid put him on a soft bench close to the pool, and instructed him to get out of his clothes. Tygra sighed, and complied. He had finally gotten used to be naked in front of Jareid, and only blushed when the jaguar was blatantly leering over him. The older prince got naked too and carried Tygra to the pool.

 

The water was pleasantly warm, and Tygra let go a sigh of contentment when he was entirely submerged in it. Both cats languished about and took their time bathing. Tygra was actually enjoying it. He shared small talk with Jareid and was surprised to see that he was no longer utterly terrorized of being in the jaguar’s company. There was uneasiness, the ever-present undercurrent of fear and shame of what Jareid would want of him, and that uncomfortable knowledge that he had been forced into this relationship. But the abject terror had sensibly diminished. Tygra acknowledged that he had resigned himself to live the life the way Jareid preferred. He lowered his eyes and sniffed in self-pity. What was he turning into?

 

Jareid sensed his sudden change of mood, and got closer to him, lifting his head by the chin.

 

“What’s the matter?”

 

Tygra shrugged and tried to find an answer.

 

“Nothing. I just… I’m…”

 

“Oh, I know that face. You’re thinking too much again, aren’t you?”

 

The tiger blushed and tried to turn his head away.

 

“I’m just wondering…”

 

Jareid grabbed his chin again and kissed his mouth, softly, slowly. Tygra opened his lips automatically. It felt so wrong, but so comforting at the same time. He wanted to cry. He sighed into the kiss and forced himself to stop thinking. Jareid soon ended the moment with a teasing lick.

 

“Don’t. Just turn off that overactive brain of yours for now. We’re having a peaceful time together, you’re supposed to be enjoying it.”

 

“I am.” Tygra assured.

 

He started to talk again about his recent discoveries in Jareid’s personal library, and the jaguar smiled and let go of his chin.

 

They finished their bath some time later, and Jareid handed him a towel to put around his waist. The jaguar pressed some buttons on the little control panel of the pool, and then herded Tygra into the clay chamber.

 

They spent ten minutes in there. Tygra was grateful when they finished. Spirits above, it had been HOT! The smell had been divine, and all his muscles had relaxed, but after the first five minutes, he had been suffocating. He couldn’t believe that someone would be able to meditate in there!

 

Jareid submerged him momentarily in the pool again. The water had already been changed, and it was clean and cool. It felt blissful.

 

Before he noticed he was sitting on the massage bed, naked again, while Jareid put on a bathrobe and looked at the oils and scents available. Tygra was about to protest his own lack of any clothing, when his right leg complained. He gave a small cry of pain and kicked out in reflex. Jareid was in front of him in an instant.

 

“Are you ok? What’s the matter?”

 

“N-Nothing. My leg just chooses bad times to cramp. It’d pass in a second.”

 

“Lie down on your stomach.”

 

Tygra obeyed, and Jareid’s hands were immediately on his right calf. The tiger grunted and whimpered as Jareid’s fingers treated the cramped muscles and released the tension. He gave a loud sigh of relief when he felt the muscles relaxing again.

 

Jareid smiled. He took a small amount of oil and started to rub it along his mate’s legs. He continued up the thighs and the buttocks, teasing the teen’s entrance when he brushed past it. Tygra’s breath was slow and controlled. He was trying to not lose himself into the sensation, but Jareid was already an expert in his body. He knew exactly where to touch and how long to get Tygra aroused and purring in pleasure.

 

The tiger was biting his lips when Jareid reached the back of his neck, fighting to not make any more sounds. The jaguar’s thumbs pressed against the sore muscles and made circles on the middle of his neck. Tygra gave a strangled groan. He felt Jareid leaning on him and breathing in his ear.

 

“Let go my little tiger. You’re feeling good. There’s no reason to fight it.”

 

_‘Dear Thunder, please…’_

 

For a moment he wished he could go back to simply loath Jareid, and his life, and be unhappy. Then he reprimanded himself for being stupid.

 

_‘Just feel. Stop thinking. Just feel.’_

 

He gave a deep breath and moaned in bliss as Jareid’s expert hands moved over sore muscles and soothed him. The jaguar continued his ministrations, until Tygra was nothing but mush in his hands.

 

When he finished he wrapped the slumbering teen in a towel and carried him to their bed. The poor thing was really exhausted and was asleep before they got out of the changing room.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid woke up and reflexively hugged the body next to him. The sun was just coming out, but he had always been an early riser. Besides, he loved to wake up to the sight of his mate sleeping in his arms.

 

The tiger looked so peaceful and relaxed. His face and body had been changing slightly in that year. He could no longer pass for a kit, but he wasn’t an adult either. He had grown up a bit. Soon he’d be about Jareid’s height. Though he still was rather thin, the jaguar was sure that he was going to develop more muscle in no time.

 

Jareid nuzzled the very short mane on his mate’s head, and purred in contentment.

 

How could he be so taken with this young cat? It was unprecedented. No other feline had been able to retain his attention for more than a month. He had pursued several cats, but generally lost interest after he bedded them.

 

It had become some kind of sport for him. He really wasn’t looking for anything more than just sex. There were a few that he looked for, more or less regularly, with the sole intention of having a bit of fun, or to release stress. Those were the cats that were willing to tolerate his most aggressive demands, and have become “regulars” because of that, and not because he thought they were particularly beautiful or interesting. He was well aware that they were expecting him to choose one of them as his mate eventually, or at the very least to have some kind of preference, or favour, from him. He was not going to give them anything, why would he? He had never seen anyone as anything other than sex-relief providers, almost as toys.

 

But it wasn’t the same with Tygra. He truly enjoyed the time he spent with the young tiger. He enjoyed the idea of being the only cat allowed to touch that delightful body in ways that made Tygra shiver. The only one ever. He was practically teaching the tiger how to have sex. It was almost as if he was training the teen to do and enjoy the things he liked. The power that he held over the tiger was an additional bonus too.

 

Jareid had always been one to abuse the power he knew he had over the rest of the clan. As he was the heir, he was untouchable, and he had known it since an early age. His parents had always tried to make him see what was acceptable and what wasn’t, and had always said that every cat deserved respect and no one should tramp on the rights of others.

 

Jareid had learned politics and knew everything the law, written and spoken, had to say about rights and the proper way to treat people. But the reality of the situation was that he believed it didn’t apply to him, at least not in its entirety. Even when his father talked to him about the repercussions of hurting those around him, whenever someone complained about something that Jareid did, Baal only huffed in annoyance and somehow the problem disappeared. And Jareid knew that there were plenty of complaints about him, he had never managed to hold on his temper, and every now and then he lashed out in extreme anger for some innocuous thing.

 

The prince had always been told how he was supposed to behave, but in practice he had always been allowed to just do what he wanted. His status, and the power it gave him, was enough to most cats to just accept that he had the right to do as he wished. Some of his most frequent sex-partners were under the delusion that he actually cared, only he didn’t like to show it. In reality, Jareid accepted that he couldn’t care less about them. He continued to bed them, simply because they were willing to put up with the pain and humiliation that his games often implied. Few cats agreed to that. The majority of his conquests were one-time laids, and then either he wasn’t interested in the feline anymore, or the cat in question wasn’t willing to repeat the experience without some kind of commitment on his part.

 

Jareid huffed. Commitment. Sure. Why would he? He could have whatever cat he wanted. He had never implied that he’d some day be faithful to someone. Even now, that he was technically mated, he could go and have any number of consorts he wanted. He knew that. Everyone knew that. Even Tygra. So, why some cats in the court still believed that he would someday stick with them, and no one else, mystified him.

 

He nuzzled the soft head beside him once more. Tygra was different in every aspect. The power he had over the tiger was something he didn’t have over anyone else. The cats of the clan could continue looking for him all they wanted, and in the same way they could walk away. No one was going to miss them. That was the one thing Jareid could not control. If someone didn’t want to be with him, he or she didn’t have to. No one was forced to stay with him. Even if he mated with someone of the clan, that cat would have no more obligation than to give him an heir. After that, or before if the reason was good enough, they could live ignoring each other, or ask for an annulment. Tygra didn’t have that option. There wasn’t a way out of the mating for him. The official contract was binding, and had been written in a way that stipulated that Jareid had the right to have the last word in every decision that concerned his mate. For all intents and purposes, the tiger was Jareid’s property.

 

Tygra was the one without any real options. He was both the youngest and the one forced to leave his home. There had never been any doubt that he was to be the submissive partner. And he still had to get used to Jareid’s personality.

 

The jaguar could just ignore him, that was true. There was no law that say that they _had_ to have sex, or even live together. Their mating was the result of a peace treaty, and as such was for life, there was no annulling it. Even so, Jareid could put Tygra aside and pretend that the mating didn’t exist. He could happily go and continue having any number of partners he wanted to. In theory, Tygra could do the same, but Ix-Maal wasn’t the tiger’s home. He would never return to Thundera, and it would be very difficult for him to find someone that would be willing to oversee the fact that he was mated to Jareid, especially after the little mishap with Bali. Besides, the tiger wasn’t the type to sleep around, Jareid could tell.

 

Tygra made a soft sound, and Jareid started to caress the back of his head to soothe him. Yes, he could ignore the teen and find a consort, or many, but he didn’t want to. He had no need to go after some greedy, cheating cat, that only wanted position. He already had a companion that wasn’t going to leave. One that depended on him. Someone who also was his social equal, seeing that both were princes.

 

Jareid smirked. His social equal, yes, but not in their intimate relationship. Tygra was _his_ sub, and Jareid had final word on everything that the tiger did or wanted. It was a kind of power that implied a different responsibility. Jareid enjoyed it, but had learned that he could do a lot of damage to Tygra if he abused it. Normally he didn’t care. He wasn’t used to think about the possible consequences that his actions could bring on others. But this particular other was his life-mate. And Jareid had already found out that he didn’t like to hurt his tiger.

 

He sighed and buried his nose in the stripped head for a moment. It had taken time, but the look of terror had finally started to die out from Tygra’s eyes when Jareid was over him. The jaguar vowed that he’d make it disappear entirely. Tygra still smelt of fear whenever they were alone, but it was less intense, and was now mixed with expectation. Jareid knew that the fear would not go completely, but he was striving every night to get Tygra’s arousal to smell the strongest.

 

Jareid considered the tiger’s sleeping form. This handsome young cat had been a lot of work. He had never before put such an effort to make sex enjoyable for a partner. Normally he just looked for his own pleasure and didn’t care if his bed companion was actually enjoying what he was doing or not. Even in that, Tygra was different.

 

Maybe it was a tiger thing. That innate ability to keep him interested had to come from somewhere. Jareid smiled, thinking about his other tiger. _His_ in a different way, but still _his_ , as Bengali had been accepted into the palace to be Jareid’s playmate. Both of them had been closer to adolescence than cubhood then, but Jareid had never shown interest in mingling with other cubs, until Bengali had arrived.

 

Jareid smirked fondly at the memory. The white tiger had been a novelty for him. Not only in the looks, but also the way he had acted towards him. Their first encounter hadn’t gone well at all, and still the white tiger remained his one true friend.

 

The jaguar kissed Tygra’s temple. Yeah, it had to be a tiger’s thing. No one else had managed to get him so exasperated and still wanting to come back for more.

 

Tygra stirred in his sleep, and Jareid scowled, already waiting for the tiger’s morning reaction to not find himself alone in bed. The teen’s body tensed and his hands pressed against Jareid’s chest, trying to push him away. It was a weak push, which meant that Tygra was not entirely awake yet. He did that every morning, and every morning Jareid strengthened his embrace, not allowing the teen to put any space between them. He was used to weak struggle while Tygra regained consciousness, only to finally remain quiet and tense in Jareid’s arms for the time it took for him to decide to get up.

 

This morning though, was different. Tygra stopped pushing as soon as Jareid’s arms tightened around him. The jaguar couldn’t see the teen’s face very well, so he couldn’t verify if he was fully awake, but he could see the nose moving. Tygra was sniffing his surroundings. After some seconds, the young body started to relax and Tygra mumbled, still half-asleep.

 

“…’s m’ate…”

 

Then his forehead brushed Jareid’s neck and a soft purr was heard. The jaguar couldn’t believe it. Tygra was cuddling! He welcomed the change with a purr of his own and held the teen closer to him. He was happy. It seemed that Tygra’s instincts were finally accepting him as mate.

 

He groomed the tiger’s head languidly, waiting for the young cat to fully regain his senses. He hoped that Tygra was not going to panic then. After all, it was still early, and they had several more minutes to cuddle before they had to rejoin the real world.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

A couple of months later, Baal was in his office with the High Shaman, considering options. It had been a year since the end of the very short war with Thundera, and the treaty stipulated that now Claudus could have his chance to renegotiate some of the terms.

 

Baal didn’t care much about the treaty, but there was one clause that at the moment was annoying him. They had agreed that Claudus could be present at the official ceremony of the mating between Tygra and Jareid. Normally that would be a given. The mating was a pact between the clans. It was almost a requirement that both royal families were present to witness the ceremony, as a gesture of good will between them. At the ceremony, Claudus could see their sons, and after that they could put themselves to do politics and renegotiate the treaty. Simple enough.

 

Except, that Baal didn’t want the lion to see Tygra. He had no problems with Lion-O. Claudus could have re-established communication with his heir at any moment, and the jaguar king wouldn’t have minded. Tygra’s case however, was different. The tiger’s impeding bonding with the jaguar prince was the only point of the treaty that was not open to negotiation. Even if in the letter there seemed to exist a way for Claudus to recover his older son, Baal was not going to let that happen. After all, the tiger had been the only real prize he had taken out of that particular conflict.

 

They had gone to war for a real stupidity actually. Baal was laying the entire fault at Claudus’ feet. It had been the lion’s side that had started the mess. After centuries of both kingdoms going about their own business, someone just had had to stick their noses where no one had wanted them.

 

A long time ago, the jaguar clan had had the reputation of being mercenaries and skilled assassins. The clan had practically exiled themselves since the early days of Third Earth, same as the tigers, as far as Baal knew, but for different reasons. While the tigers had been seen as traitorous and non-trustworthy, the jaguars simply had never agreed with the way the lions ruled. So, the head of the clan had taken his people away from the recently established Thundera, and had proclaimed himself king of the jaguars. Both kingdoms had lived ignoring each other for ages. Thundera would occasionally hear rumours of war between the jaguars and some other evolved species, but never interceded one way or the other. No lion king had ever inquired about the jaguar clan’s whereabouts, and the jaguars that did live in Thundera had done so unmolested, as any other Thunderian citizen. Many didn’t even know about Ix-Maal’s existence.

 

Then, one day, a few of the Thunderian councillors thought that it’d be a good idea to betray their king. Baal had never known, nor cared, what had been the reason of their displeasure. He only knew that they had thought that the jaguars were the perfect instrument to get away with their plan.

 

By mere chance they had found one of Ix-Maal warriors, who had been visiting the city for a few weeks. Baal liked to be informed about the world outside the jungle, and often sent scouts to go around and bring him news. This one had been astonished to be approached by three council members, two lions and a panther, with such a… proposition for his leader.

 

They had wanted war. A staged war, but it still would mean an attack on the city. They had wanted an excuse to show off Claudus, saying that he couldn’t get his own people in line. Also, a battle would be the perfect distraction for an assassination. No one would ask questions about the king’s death. They had offered the jaguars a substantial sum of money, as well as reinstate the entire clan as citizens of Thundera, allowing the head of the clan in the council. They had also offered a big portion of land if the heir to the throne ended up dead too.

 

The jaguar had almost laughed in their faces. When he had told Baal the incident, the jaguar king had scoffed in despise. He had never held any respect for his lion counterpart. He had always thought that Thundera’s kings had been too self-complacent for a long time. Having, not one traitor but three, in one’s own council, ones that certainly knew no history by the way, hadn’t improved Baal’s estimation of Claudus. How blind or soft could the lion be?

 

He had decided to ignore the situation. Other rulers’ problems didn’t interest him. Besides, as much as he despised the lions, he had had no real reason to enter in conflict with them. It’d be useless and a waste of time.

 

Unfortunately, the reason had presented itself a few months later in the form of a very disgruntled Thunderian jaguar, who had been through hell trying to find where in the forsaken enormity of Third Earth was Ix-Maal located.

 

He had told the king that the traitors had taken matters on their own hands, and there had been disturbs and threats against the lion heir, all of which had been linked to the jaguars. Jaga, Thundera’s High Cleric and Claudus’ personal counsellor, had ordered all jaguars to cut ties with Ix-Maal. Frankly, the majority of the Thunderians had thought he had been joking. For them, Ix-Maal had been no less than a myth. But then, there had been attacks. The jaguar told the king that he had been caught in the middle of a rampage, caused by an explosion in the market. An explosion that had been blamed on him! Someone had planted evidence on him, and he had been banished from the city with orders to return to his leader and take him two letters. The poor fellow had looked for Ix-Maal because he had not known what else he could have done.

 

Baal had been annoyed. But he still could have ignored the situation. It had still been not his problem if the Thunderians killed themselves. Oh, but he had been curious and had opened the blasted letters. The first one had done nothing to improve his mood. It had been from Claudus. He had ordered Baal to present himself before Thundera’s council, informing him that failing to do so will be considered high treason, and deserving of retaliation.

 

Well! The gal of the cat!

 

But the cherry on the cake had been Jaga’s letter. The cleric had used the title of Head of the Clan, and as such he had ordered Baal to state his loyalty to their only king and move the village under his care to the plains of Thundera. He was to present himself to their king to clear their intentions.

 

Baal had been furious. It was preposterous! Who had told that old cat that he was head of anything?!

 

Fine, they had wanted war so badly, they had gotten one, and they were not going to like the outcome! If the lion king couldn’t control his own council, maybe Baal would show him how it was done!

 

Before launching the attack, Baal had also considered what he could get out of the entire mess. He could just destroy Thundera as his grandfather had done with Avista when he had stolen the Tech stone. But that would not grant him anything, and it’d have no sense. They could use some Thundrillium from the mines that were technically Thundera’s land. That’d be something, but not really that much. Ix-Maal had no real need for resources. Then, Baal had thought about Claudus’ sons, more particularly the tiger.

 

The history annals considered the tigers a strong, proud, and belligerent clan. Too proud for their own good, if Bengali’s personal history was to be considered. They had also been portrayed as exceptional pilots, excellent at stealth and dexterity, and extremely loyal. But they were also very rare. Baal had been looking for them since Bengali had arrived to Ix-Maal and hadn’t had any luck. Either the clan was already extinct, or the survivors were hiding very well.

 

However, the point with Claudus’ adopted son that had attracted Baal’s curiosity was the rumours about him. The people of Thundera saw the tiger as the best fit for heir. Much better than Claudus’ blood son. There was apparently a general discontent in the palace about the crown heir. Many saw the lion cub as inept to bear the crown, and lamented the fact that Tygra was not a lion himself.

 

Baal had heard the stories before. He couldn’t help but scoff derisively at Claudus’ stupidity. One never lets the crown heir to be slandered and disrespected in such a way by the ones that one day would be following his orders. Baal’s son may have been spoiled and barely able to control himself, but no one would ever think about replacing him.

 

His son had made Baal see the possible outcome of a war in a different light. The High Shaman had recommended mating Jareid a couple of years ago. He had said that maybe having an established couple would make the prince calm down. At the very least it’d force him to be more discreet.

 

At the moment Baal had scoffed at the suggestion. As much as he wished that Jareid showed a bit of more interest in his royal responsibilities, and less in fucking the entire court, he just couldn’t picture his son mated. The idea however had had its appeal. Jareid, whatever his shortcomings, was very loyal to the ones he considered deserving of such loyalty. Too bad that very few cats fell in that category. The problem was to find a cat, any cat, that Jareid would consider worthy of his company. Baal could not in good consciousness betroth someone to Jareid out of the blue. His son would follow his orders, but it’d be a hell of a life for whoever his mate happened to be. It was doomed to end in disaster. Jareid needed someone who could see him as a real cat, not the heir, the future king. Someone who could be considered an equal.

 

There had been a time when Baal had entertained thoughts of betrothing Bengali to Jareid. The white tiger had been the only one that the prince didn’t look at with contempt. But Bengali wasn’t a noble, and while a mating between the two could have worked in a personal level, the court was going to be a problem. Besides, even if he didn’t act like it, Bengali was too dominant for Jareid’s liking.

 

With his son in mind, Baal had looked at the information he had had about Claudus’ adopted son. The tiger was too young, he had just turned fifteen, but maybe that would be an advantage. He won’t be comparing Jareid with anyone. He could be moulded, trained, to make a proper companion for the jaguar prince. Maybe his very youth would call to Jareid’s caring instinct. Baal had always suspected that Jareid would love to have someone to care for, someone that would depend on him in someway. The jaguar prince had been ecstatic when his baby sister had been born. He had even helped to care for her. The gods protect anyone that’d dare to hurt, or court, Yeana.

 

Baal had decided then that he wanted the tiger prince for his son. Jareid had looked intrigued when he had mentioned that Claudus’ oldest was a tiger. It’d be interesting to see how his prince reacted to an arrangement like the one he had in mind.

 

He had debated whether it was best to kill the lions or not. He had wanted Tygra with no other place to go, and he wasn’t so fool as to believe that the tiger wouldn’t eventually learn to move about the jungle. At least enough for it to cease to be an obstacle if he wanted to escape the city. If he had no family, and no Thundera left, he’d have nowhere to escape to. But then it’d be too much like take him as a slave. He’d never see the jaguars as any other than his captors, and Jareid would become a master, an owner, not a mate.

 

He had decided to take the tiger as hostage. An offering of peace. That’d give Tygra a purpose, some reason to remain away from home. If Claudus himself sent his son away, the tiger would simply obey, the choice would be taken from him.

 

The idea of taking the lion heir as well had been the Shamans’. The reasoning had been to provide some kind of reminder to the tiger, as well as some consolation. The tiger was young, and it’d be difficult for him to adapt to a new home all of a sudden. Besides, it’d prevent the lion from giving troubles when he’d get older.

 

Baal had been dubious. He hadn’t thought that the lion was necessary, and knowing Jareid, the kit could become something to hold over Tygra’s head. At the time Baal had wanted the tiger to forget his previous home, not to be reminded of it. Besides, based on what he had heard, he doubted that the relation between the brothers was very close. There surely was much resentment between them, maybe they’d even hated each other, being together would be no good.

 

But when he had seen them, he had changed his mind. The warriors had already informed him that the princes had been together in the lion’s bedroom, and that the tiger had actually fought them, trying to protect his brother. Baal had liked the attitude, but also had truly caught on the fact that Tygra was indeed too young. Teens in general were prone to act rashly, perhaps having the lion with them would prevent unnecessary troubles.

 

He had observed the royal family interact in front of others, and later on, how the old lion conducted himself alone. He had realized some things. One of them was that Claudus was patently proud of his oldest son. He showed that in the way he spoke of him, in the posture he took when the tiger was around, or was the point of the conversation, while he was a lot less enthusiastic when discussing the young lion. The way Claudus spoke about his blood heir gave the impression that the lion knew that his younger son would one day be the king, but didn’t really believe it. Claudus would have preferred that Tygra were the lion. A message that was broadcasted subtly, but continuously.

 

It was obvious that the effect should be that Tygra acted more like the heir he wasn’t while Lion-O looked for other things to entertain himself. The lion cub was the crown heir, but he wasn’t expected to rule. And still, Tygra was being trained like some kind of bodyguard for his brother. A menial task for one that promised so much. A counsellor would be better suited for him, even Chief Commander. Oh, but then Tygra’d end up ruling eventually, behind the throne, but everyone would know who was really the one with the crown. The lion king was trying to dismiss the tiger’s abilities, while at the same time expecting him to do better than his brother. Claudus was just preparing the way for a horrible betrayal, or at the very least a deep rift between the brothers. Either way, things were not looking good for the next Thunderian king.

 

As he had finished the analysis of the situation, Baal had known that if he only took the tiger away, Claudus was going to try everything he could to have him back. It’d be an endless tugging war. But if both princes were in Ix-Maal, Claudus would be forced to try and retrieve his heir first. The king must have a successor, and it had to be a lion. Baal wondered for a moment what would have happened had Lion-O had never been born.

 

He dismissed the thought as useless. The important thing was that his plan had worked better than expected. His Jareid was calmer and better centred. He still acted as if he was too good for the world, but his entire sexual focus was now on Tygra, private, like it was meant to be. Somehow Tygra had signified security. Someone that wasn’t with him because it was necessary to gain access to the throne. The tiger was there because he had been ordered to, but he was doing a conscious effort to get the most of the deal, to at least be content with it. He was learning to cope with Jareid’s outbursts and getting used to his roughness.

 

It hadn’t been easy. Baal had seen how horrid the first month had been for Tygra. He had feared that Jareid had managed to blow it and destroy any chance he could have had for a real mate. Tygra had been terrified of Jareid’s mere presence. You could see it in his eyes. Thankfully, the jaguar prince had seen reason. Baal didn’t know how his son had managed to correct his mistake. He suspected that Bengali had something to do with that, but it wasn’t really important. What mattered was that Jareid had found the way to salvage the situation, and Tygra was, not happy with him, but at least accepting.

 

Leaving Jareid aside, both princes were handling the changes to their lives pretty well. Tygra was quickly becoming one of the best trainees in the hunters, and his tutors and trainers spoke highly of him. Lion-O wasn’t doing bad either. He had earned the respect of the kingdom’s best engineers. He was curious and ingenious, and also very charismatic. The palace servants were fond of the young lion, and Yeana liked to play with him from time to time. He worried for his brother, but at the same time was happy to tease him whenever he could. The relationship between the brothers seemed closer than Baal had believed. Who knew? He may have done them both a favour getting them out of Thundera.

 

And that brought the jaguar king back to his present problem. He didn’t want Claudus close to Tygra, who was still struggling with his new mate, and trying to adapt. Of the two brothers it was the tiger the one who most missed their home, and Baal didn’t want him to have any reminders of it. If possible, he’d prefer to cut any ties the tiger still had to his previous life. Except the lion cub. Even Baal could see that losing his brother would be detrimental in some way for Tygra.

 

But he couldn’t just forbid Claudus to see his offspring. The treaty clearly specified that he could check on his sons’ well-being at the year, and Baal knew that the lion king would demand to see them in person. The delegation that would bring Claudus to Ix-Maal for the ceremony was due to part the next day. Baal could still decide to go with them, and that way there’d be no need for his lion counterpart to put a foot in the city. But he still would have to take the two princes with him. The last thing Tygra needed was to see Thundera again.

 

Likewise, he didn’t need to be reminded of the expectations his father had on him. Claudus surely was counting on the tiger to perform his duty as a Thunderian prince, but he wasn’t expecting Tygra to ever be happy with it. No. Seeing Claudus would only remind Tygra that he was supposed to hate the arrangement they had been forced to do, and that his father expected that he was fighting the jaguar prince’s advances in any way he could. Baal couldn’t have that, not when things between Jareid and Tygra were going so well, and so close to the official ceremony.

 

Not to mention that Claudus didn’t need to know that Jareid had blatantly ignored his petition, and Tygra was already as good as mated to the jaguar.

 

“Why don’t we leave the choice to him?” The High Shaman suggested. Baal lifted an eyebrow to him.

 

“Choice? I don’t want Tygra to see him in any way!”

 

“Then, let him be the one to decide not to. The treaty does not stipulate that he absolutely _has_ to see both kits. And there is no clause that says that they are allowed to visit Thundera either. This is when Lion-O can come in handy.”

 

“What do you have in mind?”

 

“King Claudus has had a year to find a way to renegotiate the treaty. There are several points he could have focused on, but his priority would be his heir. Let’s make things easier for him. Tell him directly that you’d prefer to not have him visiting Ix-Maal, and that you’re willing to take one of the princes to Thundera, let him be the one to decide which one he wants to see.”

 

“What if he chooses to see Tygra, or to force his way to be in the ceremony? He loves the tiger. He may as well decide that he wants to check on him personally.”

 

“He may, but I don’t really think so. If you’re willing to go to Thundera and take the lion with you, it’d be implying that you’re also willing to let him return if Claudus can come up with a good enough trade. Besides, he still has hope that he would be able to recover Tygra in one more year. Think about it. If it was you, what would you do?”

 

Baal gave it little thought. If given a choice, he’d jump at the chance to have his heir back. Claudus would do the same. No matter his personal preferences, he’d be forced to choose Lion-O to go back to him. But it’d be a shame to lose Lion-O, the kit showed so much promise. However, it was important that Tygra bonded entirely with Jareid without any sort of interference. The tiger had to be convinced that there was no way back for him. Thundera had to cease to be home, one way or the other.

 

“Won’t it cause problems with Tygra? Both of them are pretty close, and the tiger is barely out of his depressive state. Besides, sometimes I have the impression that he’s only going on because his brother is here.”

 

“He has been better lately, and it’s not like he’s going to die if the lion is not close. We can propose for Lion-O to spend some time here, perhaps one or two months a year. He can check on his brother instead of Claudus. That way the lion king would have no reason to visit.”

 

“Nice. Sounds good. Let’s go see Kaleb and send the message to Thundera.”

 

Both jaguars went in search of the First Councillor. If all went according to plan, everything should have to be ready for their trip the next morning.

 


	7. Tales and Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

Claudus did ask for Lion-O.

 

Baal announced at dinner that the lion was to go with them to their visit. He had been expecting a happy reaction on the lion’s part, and had suggested Jareid to be ready to contain any fit of jealousy his mate could display. What he got instead was two straight faces that looked at him with disbelief for a few seconds before horror, and fear appeared on Lion-O’s expressive face, while Tygra looked down, concentrating on his food without a word.

 

Yeana pouted at him, and declared that she didn’t want Lion-O and Tygra to go away. Xilara only smiled at their daughter and explained to her that only Lion-O would be going, and that it was an important visit to the lion’s father. The girl brightened then, and wished her friend a nice trip. Lion-O nodded absently. Neither brother touched their food. Tygra was obviously just playing with it, and Lion-O looked like he wanted to say something but didn’t dare.

 

When Xilara took Yeana to bed, the young lion finally found the courage to talk.

 

“Sir, why isn’t Tygra going?”

 

The tiger didn’t look up, but stopped all movement. Jareid scowled at the lion. Baal was curious enough to answer.

 

“Your father specifically asked to see you. We are supposed to review the treaty and renegotiate some of the terms if he can.”

 

Tygra’s ears dropped. Lion-O bit his lips and looked nervously at his brother. Suddenly Tygra stood up and excused himself from the table. Jareid went after him with only a cursory glance at his father. Lion-O waited a minute before speaking again.

 

“Could he have asked at any time to see either one of us? Why is he asking for me now?”

 

“Well, not at any time. Our pact specifies that he can check on your welfare every year.”

 

“So, he could have asked to see us both. Why only me?”

 

“You’re his blood son, it’s logical that he’d want to reassure his own court that you’re fine.” Lion-O scoffed derisively at that. Baal pretended that he didn’t notice. “Besides, if he attends the ceremony he’d see Tygra then.”

 

Lion-O scowled furiously.

 

“Why not wait ‘till the ceremony then? He’d see both of us at the same time.”

 

“Maybe he just wants to be sure that you’re unharmed. After all, you’re his youngest.”

 

For Baal’s surprise, the lion growled quietly. He excused himself and walked away from the table, grumbling something about Claudus just wanting to be sure that Tygra was doing his job.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra went to Jareid’s bedroom because he didn’t have anywhere else to go. He didn’t know why he was so upset, but he was, and he wanted a comforting place to be in. Sadly, the closest thing to that was the training courtyard, or the newest addition to Jareid’s room. The jaguar had put a big puff sofa close to the window just for Tygra, and it quickly had become the tiger’s favourite spot.

 

Tygra climbed on the piece of furniture as soon as he entered the bedroom. He lied down and crossed his arms and legs, almost curling inwards. Jareid took an uneasy look at him and approached cautiously.

 

“Are you ok? What’s the matter?”

 

Tygra pouted. He didn’t have any reason to be mad. He should be happy that Lion-O was going to Thundera. Right?

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

Jareid however, believed that he had an idea of what was troubling Tygra. In the year they had spent together they had had plenty of opportunities to know each other better. So, he crouched in front of his tiger, and looked at him.

 

“He knows that he has more chance to see Lion-O. I wouldn’t let you go to Thundera anyway.”

 

There was a pause while Tygra mulled that in his mind.

 

“I know. You’re that much of a bastard.”

 

Jareid crocked a smile. He didn’t mind to be the bad cat. Tygra had no business in Thundera. Besides, Claudus would be there at the ceremony. It was tradition for the parents to witness the bonding of their children after all, more so in a political situation like theirs. He was about to comment on that, when Tygra finished his thought.

 

“But he could have asked.”

 

Jareid frowned, knowing instinctually that there was something deeper in Tygra’s heart that was bothering him. He didn’t know what he could do, so he only caressed Tygra’s cheek and made him look up.

 

“Maybe he did. Father can also say no if he considers it unnecessary. Who knows the dealings between them?”

 

Tygra bit his lip and sighed. He shouldn’t be upset. Lion-O was the youngest. It was sensible to be more worried about him.

 

“I suppose I’m just being childish.”

 

Jareid kissed his nose, and pulled him out of his comfortable puff.

 

“Come here. I’m going to make you forget everything about Claudus and Thundera.”

 

Tygra let himself be carried to the bed, but even Jareid’s skilled hands weren’t enough to make him stop thinking this time.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Early in the morning of the next day, Lion-O was at the door of Jareid’s set of rooms, asking for entrance. The jaguar didn’t look too happy to see him there, but Lion-O could care less.

 

“Can I talk to Tygra?”

 

Jareid grunted and pointed the lion to the couch in the sitting room. Then, he disappeared through the door to the study. After some moments, Tygra got out, and looked questioningly at his brother.

 

“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be getting ready for the trip?”

 

There was that cutting tone in the tiger’s words that Lion-O had been so familiar with in Thundera. The lion clenched his teeth in frustration. It had been long since the last time Tygra had talked to him with venom in his voice. Now it was back. Lion-O wanted it gone for good.

 

“I’m not going.” He declared decidedly. Tygra frowned at him.

 

“What?”

 

“I don’t want to go, and I don’t have to. Father will come to the ceremony shortly anyway. There’s no need for me to go.”

 

“What are you talking about? Father asked for you Lion-O! He wants to see you! And it’s your chance to see home!”

 

“Well, I don’t want to see him! Or Thundera!” Lion-O said petulantly.

 

Tygra growled lowly. How could his brother be so infuriatingly selfish? He knew the lion missed their father! Why was he pulling this scene now?

 

“Lion-O, you’re going on this trip, or so the Great Thunder help me, I’m dragging you into the ship myself! You’re going to see father, and reassure him that you’re fine! Maybe it’s the only chance he’d have to see one of us, and you’re not spoiling it!”

 

Lion-O bristled. He didn’t like been yelled at, and didn’t like that Tygra had returned overnight to be mean to him. Then his brain caught on the last sentence his brother had said.

 

“What do you mean ‘his only chance’? What about the ceremony?”

 

Tygra huffed and crossed his arms.

 

“Come on Lion-O. Why would Baal take the time to go to Thundera to review the treaty, if father would be coming shortly? He doesn’t want father to come! No Thunderian knows how to find Ix-Maal. I seriously doubt that Baal wants to give away the secret. He must have given father a choice, and he chose to see you. So you’re going!”

 

Lion-O frowned in concentration. Tygra was right, Baal was not going to simply give away his advantage over Thundera. But the treaty would have forced him to take both of them to see their father. Why only him? Had Claudus really only asked for him? Why? He didn’t need comfort or his father’s worry. He was fine. He even felt a bit guilty for been so fine in fact. He wasn’t the one about to mate against his will. Tygra needed their father’s support the most right now. Lion-O looked at his brother with a mixture of nervousness and anguish.

 

“Perhaps, if I don’t go in the trip, father would have to come. Don’t you want to see him too Tygra?”

 

The tiger bit his lip and sighed. He wanted to see his father, but he didn’t want Claudus to see what he was becoming. He didn’t want his father to realize that he had all but given up to Jareid. He scowled at his hands. Maybe Claudus knew that he’d have to surrender. The pact was written with the idea that Tygra would have to be the submissive partner. Maybe Claudus just didn’t want to see Tygra like that.

 

“Listen Lion-O, we’re in a complicated situation here. We don’t really know what’s the arrangement that Baal and father have. Maybe you were meant to stay here only a year. Maybe father has found something that’d allow him to negotiate your return.”

 

“But you…”

 

“I’m going to be fine. I’m starting to suspect that this is Baal’s way to tell us that I’m not going back home.”

 

Lion-O was aghast. He knew how much Tygra loved Thundera. He had been the favourite prince. The favourite son also. Lion-O had always envied him the close relationship he had with their father. It was unfair that now, when Tygra needed that closeness the most, he was being left technically alone. Lion-O was going to state his position again, but Tygra chose that moment to sit beside him and put a hand on his shoulders.

 

“Look, it’s only a day. Father would see you and confirm that Baal is treating us well. You’d answer his questions and get to wander around the palace and pick up some news. You’d see Jaga and show him what you’ve learned. This is the only chance in a year that we have to get some news from home Lion-O. Maybe I’d get to go next year.”

 

Lion-O sighed. Tygra wanted to hear from home, and no one was going to make it easy for him. If his brother was not allowed to see Thundera, Lion-O supposed he could be his proxy. But he still felt uncomfortable about the entire situation.

 

“Fine. I’d go. But father better has a good excuse for not asking for you.”

 

Tygra bit his lip, but answered quietly.

 

“Maybe he did, and was denied.”

 

Lion-O looked very put out. He had not thought of that.

 

“Well, he better had.”

 

Tygra felt touched by his brother’s words. He had gotten closer to Lion-O, and he realized that he had been relying heavily on the lion’s confidence and enthusiasm. He caressed the red mane and allowed himself to be grateful for his brother’s presence. Without him he wouldn’t have survived Jareid’s first approach. He wouldn’t have even tried.

 

“You better go and get ready then. You’re leaving in a few minutes.”

 

Lion-O nodded and hurried to his own room. Tygra saw no need to go back to the bedroom, so he decided to go to the kitchens to see if he could eat something quickly before going to say goodbye to the delegation.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid was going too. Tygra had known that, but somehow it still surprised him to see the jaguar prince ready to board the ship.

 

The jaguar ostentatiously put Bengali in charge of Tygra’s well-being while he was gone. The tiger bristled and growled at his mate that he didn’t need a caretaker. Jareid only smirked, and grabbed the back of Tygra’s neck, forcing him to expose the mark on his right side. Jareid licked at it and ordered his tiger to be good or he’d have to punish him. Tygra’s growl intensified and he glared daggers at Jareid when the jaguar finally let him go. The obnoxious prince blatantly ignored his mate’s discomfort and kissed him on the lips in goodbye.

 

Lion-O said farewell to Xilara and Yeana, and then hugged his brother, promising to give his greetings to their father.

 

Tygra looked as Lion-O boarded the ship, followed by Jareid. He had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He watched with worry as the ship elevated and flew through the sky. His hands were clenched, and he couldn’t make himself to move away, even when the ship was no longer on sight.

 

Bengali’s hand on his shoulder brought him back to reality.

 

“Come Tygra. You still have a tutor to go to. Besides, we wouldn’t want Jareid to get angry because you spent too long in plain sight of everyone.” The white tiger joked. Tygra glared at him and growled.

 

“Ha, ha. Very funny Bengali. If that were the case, I’d be sure to tell him that it was your fault!”

 

“Hey!”

 

Both tigers walked back to the palace. Tygra still looked back one more time before crossing the threshold. He couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling that told him that he had seen his brother for the last time.

 

&&&&&&&

 

It was a long day for Tygra. After his morning lessons, and a rather uncomfortable lunch with the queen, he was told that training had been suspended for the day. So, he found himself without anything to do.

 

He debated for a moment if he should go to the study and read, but he was too anxious and was not going to be able to focus in the reading. He could go down to one of the training courtyards, but it was still early afternoon, and he was bound to find someone who’d want to speak with him, or offer to train together. He wasn’t in the mood to put on with any jaguar at the moment, so he decided to go and pester Bengali. Jareid had named him Tygra’s caretaker after all, so he could as well do his job.

 

The white tiger was surprised to see him in the Shamans’ wing, and chuckled when the teen admitted that he was bored, and starting to get nervous because the delegation wasn’t back already. Bengali reminded him that they weren’t expected until sometime around diner. Tygra pouted, and started to look around Bengali’s office while the white tiger put some papers in order.

 

“So, why did you decide to become a Shaman?”

 

“Oh well, my mother is one, and I always felt some kind of attraction for magic. I loved what she could do, I could almost see the energy surrounding her when she performed an incantation, or was healing someone. You know that our technology is very good, but some things are still treated with magic. One gets better faster if you combine the two.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Tygra fell silent and started to think. He didn’t know much about Bengali’s private life. He knew that he was an orphan, like himself, and that he had arrived to Ix-Maal by chance. He had two sisters, the older one was a pilot, and the youngest prepared ointments and other medicines for the people of the city, though she wasn’t a fully trained Shaman. Apparently, to practice shamanism required special abilities. Tygra didn’t know the special circumstances surrounding Bengali’s adoption, or how exactly he came to be in Ix-Maal in the first place. He had never dared to ask.

 

“Ben, do you know if there are more tigers around? I mean, our clan had to go somewhere. Did you ever know about them, or your…? You know… your real family?”

 

Bengali smiled at him, and leaned on the end of the desk, close to the younger tiger.

 

“I have a good idea of what happened to the clan. We lived somewhere in the forlorn mountains. The white tigers were a minor tribe that lived apart from the rest of the clan. Nevertheless, we also were affected when the illness hit. They said that it was an epidemic that had afflicted the entire population. We got contaminated because of our constant trading with the orange tigers that had fallen sick first. We cut off all contact with them, but by then the majority of our people were already very sick. Some started to leave the town, my father among them.

 

“I was just turning eleven when we left the mountains. My mother and brother had already died, and father wanted to save me by taking me away as far as he could. We crossed the mountains, and a good part of the plains of Teneba. In a month we arrived to the jungle. By then, my father was already sick, and it was evident that I’d get it too. He wanted to find a village or a city, some place where we could find a healer. But we got lost in the jungle, and soon father wasn’t able to walk anymore. I was also starting to show the symptoms and the fever knocked me down.

 

“A jaguar hunter found us. My father was already dying, and there was nothing anyone could do for him, save take his cub.

 

“I woke up in my new family’s home. Mother managed to control the disease, and the Shamans found a cure in no time. The king was curious and sent scouts to the mountains to see if they could find the clan, but they never found anything.

 

“The hunter who’d found me adopted me, and after a year I became a Shaman apprentice.”

 

Ben looked at Tygra with fondness. To be the only tiger in an entire city could get lonely. He knew better than anyone how hard was to try and forget one home to adopt a new one in order to survive. Tygra’s situation only made it harder. The young tiger had not been running away from a dying town. He had been given away, taken, like some kind of prize. It wasn’t a wonder the teen still felt like Jareid’s favourite toy. He caressed the young head, and Tygra smiled.

 

“I think it was almost at the same time that rumours were heard about Thundera finally having a prince. Only it wasn’t a lion.”

 

Tygra licked his lips and shrugged.

 

“I was told that I fell from the sky in a floating basket. The king and queen had no cubs, so they took me in. I don’t remember anything about that. I was not even a year old.”

 

Bengali got closer to his young charge and hugged him. He could feel the sadness in the teen’s voice when talking about the only parents he had ever met.

 

“I’m sure your family loves you, and they’d be here to offer you support. You won’t be alone.”

 

Tygra sighed, knowing that Bengali was talking about the ceremony. He focused on the thought that even if Claudus wasn’t allowed, at least Lion-O would be there. Tygra was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to go on with the ceremony if he was alone. Those thoughts immediately brought images of Jareid to the forefront of his mind and he scowled in mild annoyance. Was the cat’s personality so strong that he just had to be a constant presence in his head?

 

The thought of the jaguar prince, strangely made him analyze another thing Bengali had said.

 

“You said that you were eleven when you arrived here. That means that you’re only a year older than Jareid?” He asked, hoping to not sound rude. Ben smiled.

 

“I know, I look older. We Shamans just seem to age faster. The magic we use takes its toll.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Tygra bit his lip. There was another thing he had been curious about.

 

“Something else in your mind prince?” Bengali chuckled. Tygra’s cheeks coloured a bit, but he nodded.

 

“I was wondering, how could you… mmm… get on with Jareid? I mean, he treats you different than the rest of the cats. He treats people like objects.”

 

“Ah, well that’s because in his mind no one deserves to even be in his presence. Baal allowed him far too much while growing up.”

 

“And how come it’s not the same with you?”

 

“You really think so?”

 

Tygra huffed and rolled his eyes.

 

“It’s somewhat obvious. When you’re talking to him you can tell that he’s actually listening. Even if he’s quick to dismiss your worries. Any other cat, well, in the year I’ve been here, I’ve actually never seen him give another cat the time of the day. Not outside meetings at least. Whenever he happens to make small talk with others, well, I don’t know. He has this tone that implies that he’s doing you a favour just noticing you. He looks everyone with such derision. Even Lion-O. I’ve seen him when my brother is with me. It’s like he’s looking at a particularly cute, but annoying pet! I know the look. I’ve used it.”

 

Ben laughed at the notion of Lion-O as a cute pet. Jareid certainly did make others feel like so much dirt in his presence.

 

“You are very observant my prince.”

 

“So, what’s different with you? It’s sometimes weird the way that Jareid seems to trust no one but you. It’s like you’re the only one he’s capable to actually see.”

 

Ben sighed. Jareid was a very difficult cat to get along with, and he seemed to rebel in that fact. Bengali had always been hard pressured to sort him out.

 

“I honestly don’t know. We were young kits when we met, and he already was a bastard, I can tell you that. A spoiled kitten used to get away with anything. I think I was the first cat who told him that he couldn’t do something.”

 

Tygra chuckled and lifted his eyebrows.

 

“Really? You told Jareid ‘No’? I can’t imagine him taking that very well.”

 

“He didn’t. It was a disaster. I’m not sure what he was thinking, but I was very surprised that he asked to see me again.”

 

Tygra tried to imagine a young Jareid pouting, and smiled.

 

“Was it too difficult to make him behave?”

 

Ben huffed and smirked at the same time.

 

“He never behaved, and the adults never were any help when he was around. Let me tell you how it was…”

 

&&&&&&&

 

_The palace was huge. Bengali had never seen anything like it, or the strange machines and gadgets that littered the place. He remained close to Eékatl for the entire meeting with the king. A king that was curious about Ben’s birth town, and wanted information about it, and the tigers’ clan. Bengali answered what he could, and sighed in relief when they were dismissed. He wasn’t used to be the centre of attention, and the king’s stare made him very nervous._

_“Come on Bengali. Let’s go home.”_

_Eékatl herded his new son out of the meeting hall. He was glad that king Baal had not had any problems wit him adopting the tiger. He had promised the kit’s father that he’d give the boy a home, and he doubted that it was wise to return him to his hometown._

_If there was still a town._

_The illness that had ailed the tigers had been a deadly one. His wife had not been sure that they’d be able to cure the kit when Eékatl had first taken him home. Fortunately, Bengali’s body had reacted favourably to the treatment, and the Shamans had declared him healthy and free of the disease after a few weeks._

_The hunter took one small hand in his larger one, and guided the tiger through the entrance hall and into the front courtyard. Ben was still very shy. He missed his deceased family and his home, but Eékatl was sure that it’d pass, and that Bengali will get used to his new family. Eékatl’s two daughters were fascinated with their new brother, and had been trying to show him everything they could. Ben was a good kit, calm and observant. He shouldn’t have any problems blending in their society._

_Before father and son gave two steps towards the gates, a voice called to Eékatl. The hunter stopped and looked to his left to see his general calling. He nodded and released his son’s hand, turning to him._

_“Ben, I have to speak with my superior. Wait for me by those trees, it’d be only a couple of minutes.”_

_Bengali nodded and Eékatl walked away. The young tiger looked around and spotted a bench near some trees at the far side of the yard. There was a path close by that Bengali thought would lead to one of the gardens. He ignored it for the moment. He didn’t want to wander away too far and get lost. He sat on the bench and watched the ample front yard._

_There wasn’t much to see. The big gate was closed, and only a few guards were standing by it, and on the top of the walls. Ben liked the palace and the jungle, but it was too rainy and too hot for him. Even under the tree shadow he felt like he was going to melt, and the constant rain didn’t make it any better. That day, there wasn’t even the relative palliative of rain. He was a bit drowsy because of the heat, and so he was startled when a voice sounded right beside him._

_“What are you?”_

_Ben jumped and turned around. A jaguar kit, about his age, was standing too close to him, and looking down at him like he was some strange bug. Ben didn’t like to be stared at, and apparently took too long to answer, because the jaguar kit reached out with his right hand and poked and pinched Ben’s bare arm. The tiger gave an indignant cry and stood up, so he could see the jaguar face to face._

_“Hey! Hands off! What’s your problem?”_

_“Where are your spots?”_

_Ben was sidetracked for a second and nearly gaped at the other kit._

_“Spots? I don’t have spots. I’m a white tiger. Tigers have stripes. And it’s no reason for you to go poking and pinching people! That’s rude!” He said as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm. The jaguar scowled at him._

_“I can poke and pinch all I want!”_

_“Yeah, well, I don’t like it, and you’re not poking or pinching me!”_

_The kit pushed him, and Ben pushed back. The jaguar wasn’t expecting it, and he fell on his butt. Wide blue eyes stared up at the tiger in disbelief. Ben was scowling._

_“Get away from me!”_

_He turned around huffing in annoyance, and looking for the place his father had gone to. He gave two steps, and then yelped in surprise as he was tackled from behind and taken to the ground._

_“What the fuck…!”_

_He turned around as quickly as he could, and tried to stop the barrage of fists that were hitting him. He soon started to hit back and struggled to grab any part of the other kit that he could use for leverage. He thought that he could hear someone yelling, but he was busy trying to get the kit off him. He managed to grab the neck and lock a thigh with his leg. Both kittens rolled around on the ground, fists and kicks flying about, and struggling to get the upper hand._

_Finally, Ben managed to pin the jaguar down and sat on him, baring teeth and growling. The other kit was growling too, but he looked a bit shocked. Bengali was going to demand to be left alone, when an arm surrounded his waist and lifted him. He mewled and was put standing on the floor, facing Eékatl._

_“Bengali! What happened? You can’t be fighting here!”_

_“But he started it!” Ben said indignantly. “He pinched me, and wouldn’t leave me alone. He tackled me!”_

_Eékatl growled. He was a fool, he should have told Ben to stay away from the prince. He had no doubt that Jareid had been the one to hit first, but that wouldn’t matter to Baal. The hunter looked behind him to where Jareid still was sitting on the ground, surrounded by the few guards that had been on duty, and growling to whoever dared to get too close to him. Both kits had several bruises and cuts. That was no good at all. His general walked towards him._

_“Eékatl, take the kit out of here before the prince starts calling for his father. You know how Baal is.”_

_The hunter nodded and picked Bengali up to carry him home. The tiger grunted and put his chin on Eékatl’s shoulder. The last thing he saw was a pair of blue eyes scowling at him, before a female shaman obstructed his view._

_*****_

_Jareid only had superficial bruises and a swollen lip, nothing to worry about. Still, his mother fussed over him and reprimanded him calmly about being fighting like a peasant. She then proceeded to kiss and groom his short mane, and gave him a piece of candy fruit to forget the incident._

_However, he couldn’t stop wondering about the new kit. It had been the first time someone had actually fought with him. Training didn’t count. He wasn’t allowed to roll on the floor in the training, and even there every other kit was so damned careful to not hit him with real force. It was stupid. He knew they were trying to not anger him, but they were doing it anyway. Only the older teens and his trainer fought with him like it was supposed to be, but never outside training._

_Also, he was curious about the tiger. The noble kits bored him and he preferred to be away from them. Maybe the white cat would be more interesting? At the very least he could talk about another place, different to the jungle. Shaila, his healer, had said that he came from the mountains!_

_His father asked him at dinner if he wasn’t hurt, and he stated proudly that he wasn’t. Baal left it at that, somewhat surprised that Jareid hadn’t complained about the tiger making him angry, and willing to just for once forget the incident. But when they finished dinner, Jareid suddenly asked._

_“What’s the tiger’s name?”_

_Both Xilara and Baal looked at him in wonder, and the queen smiled._

_“His name’s Bengali. I think he’s a year older than you dear.”_

_Jareid looked pensive. A year older. That wasn’t so much. He could still grow taller._

_“Is he coming again tomorrow?”_

_Baal scowled. It was odd that Jareid showed interest in another cub. Maybe it was because Ben was not a jaguar._

_“I think he’d have duties in his own home. Besides, didn’t you fight with him today? I wouldn’t have thought you’d want to see him again.”_

_“But it was fun! I want to do it again! The next time I’m going to win!”_

_Baal didn’t think that the tiger had been having fun. He didn’t even know what the fight had been about, but he had enough experience to know that the little tiger was probably wondering what exactly had happened too. But Jareid was smiling, and he looked truly interested. Xilara however was not so sure._

_“Jareid, I don’t think that fighting is a good way to have fun. You could get hurt.”_

_“But mom, we have healers!” Jareid whined. “And he actually fought back, no one ever does! I want to really win!”_

_Xilara was about to protest, but Baal put his hand over hers and crocked a half-smile._

_“Some bruises are not going to kill him. Besides, he needs someone he can play with.”_

_“So, he’s coming tomorrow?”_

_“We’ll see if Eékatl can bring him over.”_

_Jareid knew that that was as good as a yes. He brightened and jumped from his seat._

_“Thank you dad!”_

_He kissed good night to his parents and ran away happily. Xilara was still worried about him._

_“Baal, fighting is not the same as playing. It’s not the way to make friends.”_

_“Xila, you know that Jareid is not like other kittens. He never socializes with anyone his own age. If fighting is the only way he can get close to someone, we should let him.”_

_“Bengali’s parents aren’t going to be happy if the kit gets hurt. Jareid doesn’t control his own force when he’s truly mad.”_

_“There’s no reason for him to get to that point. Besides, it seems to me that the tiger was perfectly capable of subduing Jareid. They have the same strength, they won’t end up seriously injured.”_

_Xilara made an unhappy face and Baal smiled at her._

_“He’s going to be fine Xila. He’s a boy. Boys fight with each other from time to time. You can’t prevent him form interact with the world, and we can’t just let him isolate himself from his peers. It’s not good for him.”_

_The queen sighed and nodded. She knew they had spoiled their son too much, but he was a good kit. He needed friends, real friends, not only future allies and courtesans. She wished she could have had more cubs. That way Jareid wouldn’t be alone._

_*****_

_Bengali was somewhat nervous as Eékatl walked with him to the royal wing. The hunter hadn’t been happy to be told that Jareid had asked for his son. He didn’t want Bengali to get hurt, and he didn’t want to have any reason to get into a conflict with his king either. He hoped that Bengali would be able to sort the prince out. Apparently none of the noble kits had been able to get along with Jareid yet. Eékatl knew that the prince was just curious. Bengali was a novelty right then, but soon he’d grow bored and leave the tiger alone. Ben just had to keep himself on line until then._

_The stripped kit was silent. He had been embarrassed to be fighting in such a way, but no one had told him that there was a prince his own age in the palace. Besides, the jaguar **had** started it!_

_They arrived to an ample hall, and a servant informed them that Ben was expected alone. Eékatl didn’t like that. He wanted to be close by to be able to stop any activity that could get out of control. But alas, orders were orders, and he wasn’t going to disobey his prince. He crouched in front of Bengali to be face to face with him, and give him some instructions._

_“Ok Ben, remember, don’t let him drag you into a fight again. He’s the prince, so you have to be more patient with him, and don’t get him angry.”_

_“What if he hits first?”_

_“Then just try to stop him. I’d really prefer that you avoid hitting him at all, but if there’s no other choice try at least to not do much damage.”_

_Ben pressed his lips together. He had never interacted with nobility, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to act the way Eékatl wanted him to._

_“Why does he want to see me? I don’t think he was too happy with me yesterday.”_

_Eékatl sighed. He wished he knew what the prince wanted._

_“I honestly don’t know. But don’t worry, if he had wanted you punished, Baal would have done it already.”_

_Bengali pouted. It was unfair._

_“It still was his fault.”_

_Eékatl chuckled and messed his son’s short mane._

_“I don’t doubt it. But he’s the prince, and he has the advantage.”_

_He stood up and gave Bengali an encouraging pat on the shoulder._

_“Just be good. If you have troubles you know how to radio me. Your mother will be here to pick you up and go home.”_

_“Ok.”_

_Bengali walked towards the door the servant had pointed out and knocked. An impatient “enter” was heard and Ben sighed, opening the door, and crossing the threshold._

_The room was big. There were shelves on the walls, full of toys and some books. A cabinet that apparently stored art materials was to the left. In front of him was a large window, and close to it a contraption that Bengali had seen in his house and knew that reproduced music. There was a musical instrument close by. To his right were some beanbags, and a screen that was connected to other equipment that Bengali was not familiar with. Jareid looked at him from his spot at one couch that was near the window. He had apparently been playing with some strange gadget that the white tiger had never seen before._

_“Hey! You’re here.”_

_“Um. Hi.”_

_Jareid almost ran towards him and pulled his arm to take him to the empty space in the middle of the room._

_“Come! This is not as spacious as the yard, but mom insisted that I try to not get all dirty.”_

_Bengali paused and looked at the other kit questioningly._

_“Wait. What exactly do you want to do?”_

_“Fight with you of course! It was great yesterday, I want another go! You won yesterday and I didn’t have a chance to beat you because everyone interrupted!”_

_Bengali gaped at the prince. The young jaguar was talking as if their impromptu fight had been a game._

_“But… father said I was not to fight anymore, and that I should not hit… mph!”_

_One of Jareid’s hands was over his mouth, and two blue eyes were staring angrily at him. Bengali lifted an eyebrow at the jaguar, who hissed back._

_“Do not dare tell me that someone told you to just let me hit you and not fight back. We are going to do this like yesterday! And you’re not holding back! Understood?”_

_Bengali was completely baffled. Who had unleashed this kit into the world? His father had said to not fight unless it was unavoidable, but he also had said to not make the prince angry. He supposed he should go along with what the jaguar wanted to do, and he nodded. Jareid took his hand away, slightly mollified._

_“Good! I want to win this time! But don’t just go and let me do it easily!”_

_“Fine, if you really want to. Just wait a sec.”_

_Bengali unfastened the communicator that Eékatl had given him from his belt, and put it away on a shelf. He was turning around again, not yet sure of Jareid’s demand, when the jaguar just pulled him and sent him to the floor. Bengali yelped and was barely able to avoid been crushed by the jaguar falling on him. The white tiger didn’t know how everything happened, but in a few seconds both kits were rolling around the carpeted floor, entangled together._

_It was a while before both pre-teens were lying exhausted on the floor. There had been more pulling and struggling than actual hits, but they still had ended up with several bruises. Bengali was not sure of who had won, but he’d give it to the prince; the jaguar had good stamina, and was pretty strong for his age. Jareid was smiling widely and very satisfied. He turned his head around to see towards the tiger._

_“Tomorrow we can try in the garden, or with the training weapons!”_

_“I’m not good with weapons, I’d never had any training. Besides, tomorrow I have to go to school.”_

_Jareid frowned. He had forgotten that Bengali wasn’t a noble, and thus didn’t have a tutor in the palace._

_“Um, well you’d come after school then.”_

_“I’m not sure I can. I’m supposed to help in the house.”_

_“But I want to continue our fight! I’m having fun with this!”_

_“Sorry, I can’t be playing all day. Maybe I could come for an hour or so? I’d have to return home when my mother does though.”_

_Jareid pouted. He wanted to continue playing with his new friend. But he had duties too, and they were going to have little time if Bengali’s mother picked him up early._

_“I say that you can come and do your school work here. You’d help me with mine too.”_

_Ben shook his head, smiling._

_“You know? For a prince, you’re very weird.”_

_“Yeah? How many princes do you know?”_

_Just the one, thought Bengali, but he didn’t let that small detail deter him._

_“Not many. But I’m sure you’re the weird one.”_

_Jareid actually chuckled at that._

_*****_

_“I want Bengali to live here in the palace.”_

_Jareid announced to his father at dinner. Baal stared at him oddly. That was an unusual request._

_“Why is that? Has he insinuated something to you?”_

_Jareid scowled, but shook his head vehemently._

_“No. The idea is mine.”_

_Baal sighed and reclined back on his chair._

_“Well, why do you want him to live here? You know he has his own family and his house. He can come and go everyday if you want him to.”_

_“Yes, but he takes too long, and the time he’s here is very little. If he lived here, he wouldn’t have to go before sunset. We’d have more time to play, and he could help me with homework, and I could go and look for him at any time I want and not only at an specific hour.”_

_Xilara smiled at her son’s reasoning. Baal raised his eyebrows and continued speaking._

_“You seem to have thought this trough. But Jareid, you know that only the nobility and the councillors can live in the palace grounds. The servants also have rooms here, but they are not allowed their families to live with them.”_

_“Ben’s father is a hunter, and his mother one of the Shamans.”_

_“Yes, but none of them have a high rank in their respective forces, and are not required to stay 24/7. You know that living close to royalty is a privilege, and there must be certain aspects to fulfil to be granted such privilege.”_

_Jareid crossed his arms and scowled more._

_“Bengali is my friend, and my playmate. Surely that is like having a high-ranking position. There’s no reason why he couldn’t have the privilege to live close to me!”_

_Xilara covered her mouth to hide her amusement. Baal was speechless for several seconds, until Jareid changed his scowl for wide puppy eyes, and looked vehemently at his father._

_“Please dad? I have no one else to play with.”_

_Baal rolled his eyes. There were plenty of kits around, at least five about Jareid’s age, but of course his son had to choose the one that was not a noble to be his friend!_

_“Fine, we’d see what can be done.”_

_Jareid raised his hands in triumph._

_“Yes! Thank you dad!”_

_He practically ran to his room after kissing his mother good night. Baal sighed at his mate’s amused look._

_“Now you have to find a good enough reason for Eékatl’s family to move in here.”_

_“Oh, I plan to take Jareid to the council and let him do the explanation. Fortunately, Eékatl is a good element. He just needs a little encouragement to ask for a promotion.”_

_They finished dinner wondering how could it be possible for their son to be so interested in the white tiger._

_****_

_Eékatl could not believe it. At first he thought it was a joke. It had to be a joke. No one was granted accommodations in the Palace grounds just out of the blue like this. It was necessary a meeting with Head Hunter Silao, and the king himself, to convince him that no, it was not a joke. He had to move with his family to his new quarters in the palace. When he was told the reason behind granting him such privilege, he couldn’t help himself. He gaped in disbelief at his king. Silao hadn’t been much better, but the old cat had recovered quickly and laughed and congratulated him on his good fortune._

_His mate, Misha, was as befuddled as him. The hunter wanted to bang his head on the wall. He’d have to answer a barrage of questions at training. Of course this meant that he had to enter the competition for a promotion, and he was sure that it was practically his. Baal would need an excuse to give a hunter living quarters in the palace, and it had to be something better than the prince wanting said hunter’s son close by to play with._

_Misha comforted him, telling him that they shouldn’t complain about good fortune. They should make the most of it instead. He had both the experience and ability required for the promotion. He just had to show his fellow hunters that he deserved it for his own merits. Eékatl was more at ease after talking with her. He had planned to go for the promotion after all, only at a later time. A bit of help from the spirits was not a bad thing._

_So, they went to live in the palace. In the east wing. The apartments reserved for those that were not nobility, but held a place in the council, or were the king’s closer advisors. It was also the closest building to the Royal apartments. Eékatl sighed. He better made an exceptional job in his tests for the promotion, and an even better role when he’d get the position. He’d have to be the best for him to be able to explain **this** kind of privilege to the rest of his fellow hunters._

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was amused when Bengali ended his tale. He could picture Jareid running about the palace with a morose white tiger following after him.

 

“Wow. He was spoiled.”

 

“He still is. And he still thinks that the world revolves around him. But he’s a good enough friend once you get used to his antics.”

 

“And he never got tired of you.”

 

“No, and I really don’t know why. I complained a lot about his weirdness.”

 

Tygra chuckled. Bengali had a gift for making him feel better. Maybe it was because they both were tigers.

 

“I’m surprised that he didn’t ask for you to be his mate.”

 

“I was careful to erase that notion from his head years ago. Neither one of us see the other like that.”

 

“How do you know that Jareid doesn’t want you in that way? He could be in love with you.” Tygra joked. Bengali stuck out his tongue at him.

 

“Jareid has never been in love with anyone. He just lusts after half the city’s population.”

 

Tygra chuckled, but an uneasy feeling that he couldn’t explain crept over him. As much as he loathed his mating, he had accepted Jareid as an unavoidable part of his life.

 

“Do you think that, maybe someday, he would really care for me? Perhaps consider me some kind of friend?” He asked quietly. Bengali frowned and lifted his chin to see him in the eyes.

 

“Tygra, he already cares about you.”

 

The orange tiger snorted. The hurt that Jareid had caused him was still buried deep in his heart and mind.

 

“Only as he cares about a favourite doll. I’m his property, he has said so.”

 

Bengali sighed. Jareid had never been good to express his feelings. Not with words anyway. It was outrageous really. How come the prince had no problems broadcasting his foul moods? Every one was perfectly aware of the situation when Jareid was angry. Ben hugged the younger tiger, and did his best to comfort him.

 

“I know it doesn’t look like it, but believe me, he adores you. I’ve never seen him treat anyone like he treats you. And, the most important thing; he hasn’t laid anyone else for an entire year! That is really telling something!”

 

Tygra chuckled again. He was not really convinced, but somehow he felt better. Deep down he was still waiting for Jareid to get tired of him. To set him aside and move over to someone better. He tried to hide his personal insecurities. The official ceremony was in two days. It’d be the final nail for some cats that still believed that Jareid was going to change his mind at the last minute. Tygra knew there was no chance of him doing that, but still, the gossip at his back made him nervous.

 

Both tigers spent what was left of the day exchanging tales about their own childhoods.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The ship arrived just after sunset. Tygra stood in the courtyard at the queen’s side and watched with a sense of dread as the doors opened, and the royal guards descended from the machine. Baal and his councillors followed, and among them was Jareid.

 

The prince lost no time going to his mate’s side and kissing him soundly. Tygra pushed him away, deeply embarrassed by the display, and his eyes scanned the people before him, looking for the red mane of his brother.

 

Baal greeted his queen and started towards the inside of the palace. Bengali frowned and attracted Jareid’s attention.

 

“Where’s Lion-O?”

 

Tygra was about to go into the ship himself, but the doors closed, and Jareid’s arm was around his waist. He heard as the jaguar answered Bengali’s question happily.

 

“He stayed in Thundera. Claudus wanted him back, and he made a deal with father. The treaty remains intact, and there’d be no further negotiations. He sent a cleric to take his place in the ceremony. He technically renounced all rights to see Tygra for another year.”

 

Bengali’s eyes widened, and he looked worriedly towards Tygra. The young tiger was pale, and was staring at Jareid in disbelief. The jaguar prince was about to ask what was wrong, when Tygra shook his head and turned around, running away. Jareid was baffled.

 

“What’s the matter? Auch!”

 

Bengali hit him on the head, and glared at him.

 

“You’re a fool Jareid! Don’t be so insensitive; don’t you remember that Tygra has no family here? He still has emotional issues, and his brother was like a lifeline for him! There’d be no one of his relatives in what is meant to be an important day in his life. It’s like they had abandoned him! He’s truly alone now!”

 

Jareid growled and rubbed his head.

 

“You don’t have to hit me! And I am his new family, he’s not going to be alone!”

 

Bengali groaned. He didn’t want to engage in long explanations with Jareid.

 

“You don’t understand. Look, he’s feeling terrible right now, just go after him. I’d explain later, he needs someone to be with him right now, and you’re right in one thing; you’re his family from now on.”

 

Jareid wanted to protest, but he could see that Bengali was serious, and he felt worried for his mate. So, he left his friend and went to his rooms in search for Tygra. Bengali looked him go with sadness in his eyes. He hoped that Jareid would not lose his patience, and offered some comfort to Tygra.

 

&&&&&&

 

Tygra entered the room and looked desperately around him. He didn’t know how he had managed to get to the bedroom, he felt in a daze. Jareid’s words kept repeating in his head. Lion-O had stayed in Thundera in exchange of no further negotiations. That meant that Claudus was not going to try to get Tygra back. Not even try to see him. Of course, he already had his heir back, why would he need to fight for the adopted son?

 

Tygra’s eyes fell on the top of the chest of drawers. There were several pictures on it. Bengali had taken one of him and Lion-O on his brother’s birthday with something called a camera. It was the only thing of his family that he had left.

 

Something broke inside of him then. He was alone. He had been left behind. He felt like he had been cast away. He fell heavily to his knees and hugged himself. Tears started to run down his cheeks and he just let go all of the fear and desperation of the entire year.

 

He didn’t listen the steps behind him. Didn’t feel the hand on his shoulder. Didn’t even see the jaguar in front of him. He was completely lost.

 

&&&&&&

 

Jareid found Tygra in a heap on the floor. His smaller frame shivering as sobs could be heard. He sighed and approached his young mate. Bengali was right, he had not considered how much the news would hurt Tygra. It had not been a real deal for him, but he should have remembered how close Tygra had been to his brother.

 

He moved Tygra’s shoulder, expecting the tiger to scream and rant, like he himself did when he was truly upset. However, he was unprepared for the cry of pure desolation that escaped the teen’s mouth, as soon as Jareid pushed his shoulders to look better at him. The jaguar almost panicked. He called Tygra by his name, but he got no more response than heart wrenching sobs.

 

He managed to pull Tygra into his arms and carry him to the bed. The young cat curled as much as he could and continued crying inconsolably. Jareid didn’t know what he could do, so he opted for continue holding Tygra, until the tiger cried himself asleep.

 

 


	8. A Visit to Thundera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

The ship landed within Thundera’s sight. There was still some distance to cover, and Lion-O wondered if they were going to walk, or use the pods. He was surprised when the backside of the ship opened and the big birds were herded out. He understood then why they had taken one of the big ships for such a small delegation.

 

“We’re riding there?” He asked Baal. The jaguar king looked happy to mount the birds.

 

“Of course. We’re not so far, but why walk?” He answered. Lion-O looked towards the city.

 

“Why didn’t we land closer?”

 

Baal smiled and got comfortable on his mount.

 

“Well, we don’t want your father or any of Thundera’s citizens to have a heart attack, do we?”

 

Lion-O scowled and looked at the ship. It was big enough to be seen from the city, surely the guards had already spotted it? And Baal had been sending messengers and warriors to the city the entire year. Surely his father must know that technology was real by then.

 

He mounted, helped by Xiao, who had gone with them as his guard, and kept himself close to Jareid’s side. The jaguar prince didn’t look too happy on the bird. He’d prefer to ride a pod any day. A machine was a smoother ride than a bloody bird.

 

Once everyone was ready, Baal gave the signal to move. Lion-O then noticed that the air around them looked strange, like there was some kind of transparent fog. They advanced, and Lion-O could feel the exact moment he went trough an energy field. He looked back in surprise, and confirmed that the ship was no longer visible. He gaped and returned to look at a smirking king.

 

“Now, we wouldn’t want them to know everything, do we?”

 

Lion-O pouted. Of course that just meant that he wasn’t allowed to talk about technology. And he had been hoping to tell Jaga everything about how it worked! That wasn’t fair!

 

Well, screw it! He was going to tell anyway. His father should know what was going on. Besides, he knew that Baal had sent messages to the jaguars that had been left behind to be part of Thundera’s new council. It was impossible that no one had realized what the jaguars used to get messages so fast, and how they managed to come and go between the two cities in short lapses of time. Surely his father already knew everything about technology.

 

The thought had also occurred to Jareid, who was complaining loudly about their mounts.

 

“Really dad? Why do we have to hide the ship? We could have landed right in the palace’s front yard! It’s big enough!”

 

“Like I told the cub, Jareid, I don’t want Claudus aware of certain things just yet.”

 

Jareid huffed derisively and rolled his eyes.

 

“Please! It’s been a year, and I seriously doubt Illiard and Xuan, or any of the others, have been avoiding using their gadgets. They can’t live without them! Besides, you really think Lion-O is not going to say anything? He’s absolutely marvelled with tech!”

 

“Don’t worry about that. Experience has shown me that the eyes only see what the mind wants them to see. We’d be gone before Claudus realizes the truth of his sons’ words.”

 

Jareid scowled at his father like he had suddenly grown another head. It made no sense to him. How could Claudus explain the jaguar’s firepower and their very evident more advanced weapons, or their instant communication with each other without technology? Magic was good, but it was not a talent your every day cat possessed. Besides, it was very different from technology, and no one was _that good_ anyway. But he shrugged and let it drop, seeing that his father wasn’t going to change his mind.

 

They rode the fifteen minutes that separated them from the city, and were received by their own representatives and the city guard. People had congregated on the restored main avenue to watch them pass. There were several hostile faces, disquieting muttering, and other noises of displeasure, but the guard was doing its job and kept everyone at bay. Baal rode his way confidently, like the king he was, ignoring everything around him, as if the mob simply didn’t exist. Jareid was a younger mirror of his father; both of them were plainly telling the Thunderians that common cats were not worth noticing. Lion-O was nervous. There were many angry looks directed at him. Xiao had told him to simply ignore it. He was the royalty, not them, and he didn’t have to even look at them if he didn’t want to. Lion-O felt uncomfortable, but he ended up mimicking Jareid’s posture. He couldn’t help but notice that after a while people stopped their stares and focused on their guard, or in gossiping with each other.

 

The ride was very short, and they arrived at the palace’s gates unmolested. Lion-o breathed in relief once the gate closed behind them. He had never felt such hostility from so many people directed at him at once. How could Jareid not even bat an eye at it?

 

Their escort guided them through the entrance hall and into the Royal Throne Chamber. Lion-O smiled as he got reacquainted with the palace. Tygra was right, he had missed home.

 

The first thing the lion noticed upon entering the Throne Room was his father, with Jaga at his side. He smiled widely and would have run at Claudus’ side if not for Xiao’s hand on his shoulder, quietly restraining him.

 

“Decorum my prince. Do not forget your place.”

 

Lion-O sighed. This was a diplomatic meeting, there was protocol to be followed, and he wasn’t a little cub any longer. He had to show decency and be calm, and wait for the kings to exchange the forced pleasantries that neither feel, and not move or speak until he was acknowledged.

 

He hated protocol.

 

Once the initial greetings were interchanged, Lion-O could step forwards and extend his arms to his father. He had grown a bit in that year, but could still be considered small for his age. Claudus smiled at his lion cub, and he embraced Lion-O’s frame for some moments before patting his shoulder and return to business. Lion-O wasn’t sure where he should stand. He was technically a visitor in his own home. Fortunately, Claudus gave the indication for them to go to the dining Hall to have an early lunch.

 

The table service was arranged for a diplomatic meal. The kings sat at the middle of it, face to face, with Baal occupying the place of honour. Jareid sat at his father’s right while the First Councillor sat at his left. Lion-O was instructed to sit at Claudus’ side, directly in front of Jareid, and with Xiao at his other side. Jaga of course sat at Claudus’ right.

 

Lion-O sighed and endured the formal meal in resignation. His brother was so much better for that kind of thing. The tiger should be the one sitting there, listening to boring talking about government and political standings. All of it seemed senseless to Lion-O. However, the young lion put enough attention to notice that Claudus hadn’t yet inquired about Tygra’s health, had in fact not even mentioned his big brother at all. Lion-O started to feel annoyed by his father’s omission. He thought that Tygra’s well-being was more important than whether or not Thundera was being administrated along Baal’s requirements. He knew that Baal didn’t care anyway. All this diplomatic talk was a complete farce.

 

The young lion looked at Jareid and just knew that the jaguar prince was thinking the same. The cat had been expecting to be questioned about his treatment of his “future” mate, but so far he had not been bothered at all on the matter, and he didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing. He thought that the lion king was taking this diplomacy shit way too seriously.

 

Lion-O was considering opening his mouth and bringing up the subject of Tygra’s mating, but just then Baal brought everyone’s attention to one particular servant. The one presently filling his glass of wine, or more appropriately, trying to, as Baal just put his glass out of the servant’s reach.

 

“Sorry, I’m not used to let a known traitor anywhere close to what I consume, much less serve me in any way.”

 

Lion-O looked at the servant and scowled. He was familiar. A brown lion, around thirties, that used to be part of the council, if Lion-O remembered well. The servant lion growled lowly and passed to Jareid, who growled louder and said something between clenched teeth that no one but the servant could hear. The brown lion paled, and took two steps back. Lion-O wanted to know what this was about. Baal granted him his wish, once a different cat served his wine.

 

“Really, that is one face I could have sworn I wouldn’t be seeing ever again. Do your other servants know what he did Claudus?”

 

“There was a trial. He was able to explain his actions.”

 

“Oh? And pray tell, how exactly do you explain treason?”

 

Lion-O’s ears stood in attention. This was interesting. More interesting at least than city’s administration.

 

“He was forced by others to act as he did. He has a family he wanted to protect. He wasn’t given any way out.”

 

Jareid snorted in derision, and Baal’s smile was the one he reserved for when he felt condescending. Lion-O scowled even more.

 

“My, my. Such a sob history. How convenient that the other two were already dead.”

 

“By your warriors’ hands if I recall correctly.”

 

Baal shrugged amusedly.

 

“They asked for it. Who in his right mind opens the back door to complete strangers? Especially when we had already blasted the front gates!”

 

Lion-O’s eyes went wide. He knew enough about the war between the clans to call it stupid, and also knew that some cats from the Thunderian council had been the ones to start it. He understood then that the brown lion was one of the culprits. The cat was a traitor! What was he doing in the palace? Baal continued talking.

 

“Besides, they irritated the hell out of my warriors, insisting that the show should be real enough. I think they should be satisfied.”

 

Jareid smirked and finished his meal. Lion-O didn’t know what to think. He had never know the exact reason behind the war, other than Baal had been mad enough to get into it, but he had the gist of the situation, and the fact that one of those that had been responsible for it was still free and breathing didn’t sit well within him. Perhaps he had spent too long among the jaguars after all. Claudus was serious.

 

“I function under the belief that every cat deserves a chance to defend themselves. He never wanted to betray his people. He tried to protect his family.”

 

“Beautiful.” Baal said in a patronizing manner. Lion-O couldn’t help but feel ashamed. If it had been Ix-Maal, the brown lion would have died a horrible death, no matter his reasons. “And so, his punishment for being an idiot, who couldn’t think about going to his king, is to mop floors. A bit harsh, don’t you think? After all, only half the city was destroyed.”

 

Jareid was having fun, Lion-O could see it as bright as day. He glared at his jaguar counterpart and wished he could erase the stupid smirk from his face. Claudus was getting annoyed, but admirably kept himself in check.

 

“He was punished accordingly. His family casted him out, and he lost all titles. He can’t leave the palace. He won’t survive the streets.”

 

Baal laughed.

 

“So, you’re protecting him from the good people of Thundera! A bit hilarious. Though I still wouldn’t let him anywhere near my person. But who am I to tell you how to treat your subjects?”

 

It was a seemingly adequate punishment if the brown lion had been honest and had told the truth, but somehow Lion-O doubted it, and it was evident that Baal didn’t believe a word. The young lion sighed. He knew his father had always been merciful, but hell! That other lion had cost them lives and resources! He had cost them Tygra! Lion-O fumed as he glared at Jareid again. His brother was never returning to his beloved home, all because of a stupid, coward lion, that couldn’t go to his king for help? Even if it was truth, Claudus had been too lenient!

 

He wanted to scream, but he knew it wasn’t the moment to show his frustration. However, he couldn’t remain at the table anymore. He was too upset. He turned to his father and formally asked to be excused. Claudus widened his eyes in surprise and that made Lion-O even more upset. What? Couldn’t he be bothered to know etiquette? He almost growled. His father wouldn’t have batted an eye if it had been Tygra doing the exact same request!

 

Claudus sobered almost immediately and told Jaga to accompany Lion-O to his room. The old Cleric nodded, and with a smile invited the young lion to walk beside him. Xiao was about to stand and follow his charge, but a gesture from Baal indicated him to leave both cats alone. He scowled, but obeyed his king. The discussion turned back to less controversial matters.

 

Lion-O walked quietly beside Jaga, still fuming. The servants and courtesans they passed looked at him as they had ever done, disappointingly. His mood darkened considerably. They were disappointed that he was the one visiting and not Tygra. The lion clenched his fists. His brother should be the one there, that’d make everyone happy!

 

Well, almost everyone. Jareid would be fuming if Tygra had been the one chosen to go in the visit, but at the moment that fact counted as a bonus in Lion-O’s book.

 

He didn’t realize Jaga was talking until the old cat put a hand on his shoulder and called his attention.

 

“Are you listening Lion-O?”

 

The young teen blinked and looked up apologetically.

 

“I’m sorry Jaga. I just can’t believe that he’s letting that… that traitor go unpunished! Why isn’t he even in the cells? I mean, he caused a war!”

 

Jaga sighed and put a knee on the floor to be at the lion’s height.

 

“The trial showed us all the facts Lion-O. Darius was another victim, and he paid for his weakness. Claudus prides himself on being a merciful king, and that makes him a good leader for his people.”

 

Merciful? Merciful?! A traitor didn’t deserve any mercy!

 

“That’s not mercy! That’s…! I don’t know what it is, but it’s not mercy! He should be dead!”

 

He was seething. Jaga was astonished. He had never thought that the little lion would develop a taste for revenge.

 

“Lion-O, Thunderians doesn’t kill each other. A good king avoids condemning his subjects to dead for a moment of weakness, a mistake.”

 

“He didn’t have any problem sending two cities, full of cats with families, to kill each others!”

 

His sight fogged with unshed tears, and he growled. He had never cried in the entire year he had been in Ix-Maal! Why was he doing it now? A few tears escaped and he whipped them angrily. Jaga sighed and hugged him with one arm.

 

“You’re still too young Lion-O. Someday you’d understand that sometimes you have to make difficult decisions.”

 

The young blue eyes were still teary, but looked calmer. Jaga tried to smile.

 

“Never let anger fog your mind and rule your actions Lion-O. You’d only do things that’d cause you great regret and sorrow later.”

 

Lion-O pressed his lips. The image of Bali, the jaguar that had tried to murder Tygra, came to mind. He knew Jareid had been the one to execute that traitor. He didn’t know the particulars, but by the amount of blood that had been on the prince’s body when he had returned to collect Tygra, it hadn’t been pretty. Jareid had been not only angry. He had been feral with rage. Lion-O still trembled in remembered fear when he thought about it. Jareid had never shown any remorse for killing the cat, much less any kind of sorrow for that particular action. No one did, as far as Lion-O knew.

 

Still, Jaga had a different mind-set, and Lion-O knew that the old Cleric believed his king had done the right thing. He nodded his understanding of the situation, and Jaga seemed satisfied. The Cleric stood up again, and continued his walk.

 

“Come. Someone is waiting for you in your room.”

 

Lion-O lifted his brow intrigued, and followed his old mentor the rest of the way. As soon as he opened the door to his room, a furry creature was over him, almost making him fall.

 

“Snarf!”

 

The small critter mewled happily and licked his face. Lion-O hugged his pet, and rubbed its back. Jaga was smiling.

 

“He has missed you. He stayed in your room for long days.”

 

“You silly pet. If you hadn’t hid so well, you’d have come with me.”

 

“Well, I’d be going. They surely are on their way to the council room by now. Try to rest, and to reacquaint yourself with your room.”

 

Lion-O turned to Jaga, suddenly anxious.

 

“Wait! Maybe I should be present. I’m father’s heir after all.”

 

Jaga raised an eyebrow. Lion-O had never shown enthusiasm for political activities. He smiled and patted the youth’s shoulder.

 

“Don’t worry about it for now Lion-O. You’re still too young, and this visit is going to take most of the day. I think Baal is interested in seeing some places himself.”

 

Lion-O scowled. He was thirteen already! Tygra had been following Claudus on diplomatic visits since he had been twelve! And Bengali had told him that Jareid had attended council meetings at ten years old! True, the jaguar prince had slept through most of the meetings, but Baal hadn’t relented, and had dragged his offspring to every single one of them until Jareid had learned to at least keep his eyes open for the entire thing. Lion-O was not too young! And he already knew where they were going anyway!

 

“The Thundrilium mines. He wants to see for himself if they’re been exploited efficiently.”

 

Jaga was surprised that Lion-O knew that piece of information. Maybe the year away from a sheltered home had been good for the lion.

 

“Yes, though I don’t know why he’s interested in those ancient mines. Thundrilium is not very useful.”

 

“They use it for the ships and the weapons.” Lion-O pepped up helpfully. Jaga scowled.

 

“Ships?”

 

“Yes! The big ships need energy to function, and Thundrilium makes a huge reaction when combined with…”

 

“Wait Lion-O. Ships? Like in the fairy tales?”

 

“Yes!” The lion scowled again. Was it really too difficult to understand? “Their technology is fuelled by many types of energy. Thundrilium is one of the elements that provide most of it. Household implements run on electricity.”

 

He was getting exited, but Jaga interrupted him again.

 

“Lion-O, I know that some things that the jaguars do may seem marvellous, but don’t let your eyes deceive you. Technology is a myth. The Shamans have strong black magic, they are known for that. You have to remember the difference between real facts and old folk tales.”

 

The lion was baffled. Black magic? Ben sure knew how to use black magic, but that didn’t transport an army through the air!

 

“But Jaga, it does exist! Surely you’ve seen them receiving messages. There’s no messenger running back and forth between both cities!”

 

“Mirrors are very useful for long distance communication Lion-O, if you know the correct way to use them.”

 

Mirrors? Mirrors?! That was what Jaga thought a communicator was? A fancy mirror?

 

“They’re not mirrors! And the city is days from here Jaga! And we cover the distance in just two hours! We came in a ship! You can’t see it because there’s an invisible field around it, but it’s just minutes away from the city!”

 

Now the old Cleric frowned and started to look worried.

 

“We have seen the jaguars disappear some distance away from the city when they head for Ix-Maal. But invisibility can be achieved in many ways Lion-O. Tygra’s whip, for example, would have granted him invisibility if he had been allowed to master it.” He looked intently at the young lion, and sighed. “Perhaps we should check you up. You could have been given something that’s making your mind wander too much.”

 

Lion-O blinked a few times, and then his eyes widened in comprehension.

 

“You think I’m being drugged? Whiskers Jaga! Can any of you just listen to me just once?! I didn’t imagine it! Do you seriously think that the jaguars would use whatever type of magic for every single thing in their every day lives? It’d be exhausting!”

 

“When you’re addicted to it…” Jaga started, but Lion-O interrupted him.

 

“No! Please don’t tell me that you’ve spent this year believing that the weapons they have work with magic. You’ve seen them Jaga! I’ve seen them too! You know it’s not magic!”

 

Jaga sighed again. It was impossible. Had Baal really managed to bring a myth into reality? How could he do that? To make a dream come true. Perhaps they really had been too self-complacent.

 

“We’d talk about it later.” He said. Lion-O was disappointed.

 

“But…”

 

“Later Lion-O. When your father is present, and they had gone. You can show both of us then what exactly the jaguars call ‘technology’. I really have to join your father now.”

 

Jaga exited the room, leaving a very unhappy lion behind. Lion-O huffed and let Snarf go from his arms. It wasn’t fair. Why no one ever listened to him? If Tygra was there he’d tell them. They’d listen to his big brother!

 

Lion-O let himself fall on his bed with a dejected sigh. It seemed that Thundera had not really changed. He was still the childish prince that no one took seriously.

 

Something poked his side, just above his hip, and he groaned. He sat up and took off his belt. His eyes fell to the communicator attached to it, and he swore.

 

“Whiskers! How could I forget? I could have shown him!”

 

He sighed and started to think that it’d be the first thing he’d do later. But wait. Later? When? Baal was going to storm out of Thundera as soon as the visit was finished. When was Lion-O supposed to talk with Jaga and his father? But Jaga had said that they’d talk with Claudus present. Something was going on.

 

He had to listen to the meeting. It was important, and he wanted to be able to tell Tygra everything that happened. An idea occurred to him, and he turned the communicator on, pressing a combination of buttons.

 

“Come on Xiao. Answer me.”

 

The small screen turned bright, and Xiao’s face greeted the teen.

 

“Prince Lion-O, is everything in order?”

 

“Well, yes. In a way. But they are not allowing me into the meeting Xiao! I want to listen to it. I want to know what’s going on! Can you leave the communication open? That way I could hear the negotiation.”

 

Xiao sighed and looked around. He was not supposed to be using any technology in there, but everyone was busy finding their place in the big table, and no one was paying attention to him.

 

“Fine. But you have to be quiet, no one can hear you.”

 

“Done!”

 

Xiao put the communicator back on his belt without turning it off, and positioned himself as close to the table as he was allowed. The miniature screen on Lion-O’s communicator was not useful any longer. It didn’t show anything. But the sound was all the lion wanted.

 

He got comfortable on his bed, and listened as Jaga finally entered the room and excused himself for being late. Moments later, everyone seemed to be in place, there was another formal greeting, and the statement of the motives for the meeting. Lion-O sighed quietly. Politics were so boring! He didn’t know what Tygra saw in them that was so appealing.

 

Fortunately for the lion, Claudus was impatient enough to rush the proceedings. As soon as the initial protocol finished, the lion king spoke decidedly.

 

“Let’s do this quick and to the point Baal. You already know my intentions, so what is it going to take for Lion-O to stay in Thundera?”

 

Lion-O’s eyes went wide. He almost didn’t listen to Baal’s answer. The jaguar king seemed amused.

 

“My. I was expecting you to beat around the bush for sometime. But if you want to go to the point let’s just do it. What exactly do you want Claudus?”

 

“I want Lion-O in Thundera, and a statement declaring that he doesn’t have to return to Ix-Maal under any circumstances.”

 

Lion-O stopped breathing. He couldn’t be serious. Surely Baal would not accept. The jaguar king was not going to risk someone trying to reclaim the Sword of Omens later. Right?

 

There was silence in the communicator, and Lion-O remembered painfully that Baal didn’t really care about the sword one way or the other. The war had been a matter of pride, not of power.

 

“I see. And what would you have to offer Claudus, in exchange of your son? The Sword of Omens is already mine, and frankly I’m not interested in anything else in your kingdom.”

 

“Something relatively simple Baal. I’m willing to leave the rest of the treaty intact, permanently. I’d renounce the right to review it, and the right to further meetings in the foreseeable future. Of course, in the knowledge that every clause is going to remain intact.”

 

Lion-O’s mouth went dry. He didn’t know the particulars of the treaty. There was only one clause that he had wanted to hear. The only one he had hoped his father could renegotiate. The one concerning his brother.

 

“Is that so Claudus? That’s saying a bit much. Are you sure you wouldn’t change your mind about anything else?”

 

He stressed the last part of the question. Lion-O could picture his amused face perfectly. The bastard.

 

“I know you can’t use the Sword of Omens. Given time, it’d return to its rightful owner. Even if I not live to see it.”

 

Lion-O could feel his mouth gaping in incredulity. The sword? Was that really the next pressing issue for Claudus? Baal’s amused laugh indicated that the jaguar king had not entirely been surprised by the lion’s words.

 

“Ah, yes. Your pretty sword. A good point, however that’s not what I’m referring to.”

 

Lion-O wanted to bang his head on the wall. Was his father being obtuse on purpose? It was painfully obvious that Baal wanted Tygra’s position to be clear and accepted by everyone. His father’s next words were like a blow for him.

 

“If the treaty stays as it is, in every single detail, then there’s no reason to push for more negotiations.”

 

What in the nine cursed hells was Claudus talking about? How could there be no need for further negotiations? Was he really renouncing Tygra? No, that couldn’t be true! He heard Baal’s amused chuckle and growled quietly.

 

“Very well. However, it’d be a shame to just leave the little lion behind. He had been having so much fun. Surely he’d want to visit once in a while.”

 

“No. My son doesn’t have any real need for whatever ‘fun’ you can provide. I want it to be clear that he has no obligation to you or your kingdom, and that no one can force him to go back under any circumstances.”

 

“Well, if that’s your wish. You realize that once we sign this accord, there’d be no need for you to put a foot in Ix-Maal either. You’re technically vouching your consent for me to follow our agreement as I see fit. Therefore, you witnessing the mating ceremony that’d close this alliance will become redundant.”

 

That was the last chance. Lion-O knew it. Tygra had been right, Baal didn’t want Claudus to visit the Jaguar city. What the jaguar king had said was clearly a warning of what was going to happen should Claudus persist with his demand. There was a heavy silence. The Thunderian king may have been expecting to at least get to see his other son after all. Lion-O hoped that Baal’s ultimatum made his father reconsider, but it was not to be.

 

“My presence at the ceremony would be politically irrelevant, I understand. However, there has to be at least a Thunderian representative to prove the alliance true for both kingdoms.”

 

“Very true. Who’d you propose, since you’d made it clear that you don’t want your youngest son to leave home again?”

 

“One of the clerics if you don’t mind. Not Jaga of course, I’m thinking about one of the youngest ones…”

 

Lion-O turned the communicator off and started to pace his room. He couldn’t listen any more, he was very angry as it was. How could he? He was leaving Tygra alone! His brother was already anguished enough; he needed their support! Claudus couldn’t abandon him now!

 

Lion-O growled under his breath. Claudus didn’t know what Tygra was going through. Physically, the tiger was fine. Their first month non-counting, there had been no visible signs of any kind of abuse on Jareid’s part. But mentally, that was another story. Lion-O was sure that Tygra was going to break if he was left without his family. Over the last year the two siblings had gotten close enough that Lion-O knew that Tygra’s mental health had suffered the worst. He couldn’t leave his brother like that. He was not going to. He didn’t care about what his father’s reasoning could be to do what he was doing. Whatever it was, it was wrong! Claudus didn’t have enough information, and he wasn’t getting the big picture. Lion-O had promised his brother that he’d be there to witness his mating ceremony, and he planned to do just that!

 

Making up his mind, he turned the communicator on again. He needed to keep track of the jaguar’s delegation movements. He was sure that his father had told the guards to not let him wander away from his room, but that wasn’t a problem. He had scurried away from the palace before without being noticed. He only needed to do a couple of things, and he still had plenty of time.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid was dying of boredom. Diplomatic visits were tedious and uneventful. And he didn’t like Thundera, it was too dry and exposed. Sure, they had big rich plains that provided the city with cattle and crops, but the food could never compare to what you could obtain from the jungle. The city was bigger than Ix-Maal, he’d give them that. Thundera was known for being the richest city of Third Earth. That was the reason of the constant conflict between the Thunderians and the rest of the species, especially the lizards.

 

Jareid had decided that the difference between the lions and the jaguars was the way they saw the world. While the Thunderians had isolated themselves and crouched behind the walls of their rich and prosperous city, the jaguars had established some relations with the rest of the planet. They had had their fair share of war and had proven to be the best. They had rediscovered not only technology, but other arts and practices too. They had allowed change into their lives, and it had made them superior. Now, they were the ones on the top, higher than the lions.

 

The prince looked around him, and scoffed at the big extension of land that housed the cattle. They were in their way to the Thundrilium mines, and had already seen a little of what the reconstructed city had to offer. It was flourishing once more, but it still lacked tech.

 

They arrived to the mines in short time. They were also unimpressive. They lacked the automation that Jareid was used to, and were primitive to his eyes. The kings and their counsellors went about the management of the Thundrilium and how much the mine was producing. Baal offered to send someone to improve the method of extraction and increase the production, but Claudus was not fond of the idea. Jareid didn’t know why, he thought that a few machines would make wonders for the place. They’d make the work easier.

 

Jareid was still conflicted over many of the points of the treaty. They didn’t need Thundera’s resources; their city was pretty much self-sufficient. But he understood that it was more a power display. The treaty existed to make clear who was subservient to whom, and to establish that the alliance between both kingdoms was not on equal footing. Now that a year had passed and the jaguars had made their point, there’d be no more need of an Ix-Maal representative stationed in Thundera. The city would keep sending Thundrilium and other things, and one of the nobles would be present every two months at council meetings. But the jaguar’s presence in Thundera would go back to be technically null. At least the Ix-Maalish jaguars.

 

He was surprised that his father was offering help to renovate the mines. He knew that that would mean introducing technology in Thundera, and he had been under the impression that Baal didn’t want to help the lions in that aspect. But Claudus refused anything that would require more intervention on the jaguar’s part. Jareid even eavesdropped some muttered comments among the Thunderians that were with them. They were talking nonsense about black magic and evil in what the jaguars did. The jaguar prince had been baffled. He realized that his father had been right to say that the eyes only saw what the mind wanted.

 

Of course, once Claudus talked with his heir he’d have to realize his mistake. Jareid was positive that Lion-O was going to make sure that his father understood just what kind of “magic” the jaguars possessed. However, by then they’d be in their home again, away from prying eyes, and Claudus wouldn’t have the opportunity to use his new knowledge against them.

 

The thought of home, made Jareid think of Tygra. He wondered why his little tiger was still so attached to Thundera. He would have hated to grow up in that place. Besides, the fact that Claudus hadn’t even asked about Tygra’s well-being, made Jareid think that the lion king didn’t consider his adopted son important. That, or he simply thought that Tygra must be all right and was useless to ask about him. Jareid shrugged reflexively. It didn’t matter. In a couple of days the ceremony would take place, and Tygra would officially cease to be a Thunderian prince.

 

Jareid watched as both kings discussed trading arrangements and looked away. He was tempted to leave the group and explore the mine himself. The kings would be arguing about boring things for a long time yet. No one would notice his absence.

 

He had already decided to stay behind and look for an opportunity to slip away, but, surprisingly, Jaga approached him the moment he was finally apart from the main group.

 

“Prince Jareid. I was hopping to have a word with you.”

 

Jareid blinked in astonishment at the sudden apparition of the High Cleric. He composed himself quickly, all his senses in alert. It won’t do to be caught with his guard down by one of the clerics, specially this one.

 

“Sure, what is it?”

 

Jaga made a small bow with his head and started to talk, while still trailing behind the rest of the group.

 

“I understand that in just two days Tygra is going to become your mate. I just wanted to put his father’s concerns to rest. Tygra is still young and has never lain with anyone up to this moment. It’s understandable that he’s going to be nervous. My most pressing worry is that he won’t be hurt.”

 

Jareid smirked inwardly. So, the lion king was not cat enough to confront his son-in-law directly. He had to send a servant to do what was a parent’s work. Very well. It was adequate, after all. He wasn’t going to see Tygra ever again, so why bother?

 

For a moment Jareid was very tempted to brag, and inform the High Cleric that he had cheated, and taken Tygra before time. That, even if there had not been a ceremony yet, Tygra was already his mate. He imagined that the old cleric’s and the king’s reactions would be priceless. He did a great effort to contain himself, because those news would cause a big, royal, mess. Certainly they’d sort it out, and Claudus would have to conform in the end, but it’d consume a ridiculous amount of time, and what Jareid wanted at the moment was to get out of Thundera as soon as possible. Besides, his father won’t be happy with him. So, he put on as serious an expression as he was capable of, and answered proudly.

 

“There’s no reason to worry. Tygra is going to be well taken care of.”

 

Jaga nodded.

 

“Please, have his age in mind. He’d need time to cope.”

 

Jezz! Did the clerics and the shamans share a mind? Jareid couldn’t help his smirk this time.

 

“I’m sure he’d eventually manage. He’s not a delicate flower.”

 

“Of course not. But he is still a boy.”

 

_‘My boy’_ Jareid thought possessively. He nodded, and that seemed to appease the High Cleric. The tour ended shortly after.

 

&&&&&&

 

As soon as the delegation returned to the palace, Baal gave the order to prepare the mounts and load the supplies they were taking back to the jungle. He wanted to go before sunset, so he told every jaguar to hurry up.

 

Jaga introduced the cleric that was going to act as the Thunderian witness in the ceremony. It was a young puma that had taken his initiation recently. Baal apparently didn’t mind who got to go in Claudus place, but he made a sign to his Shaman to take care of the Cleric. It was important that the foreign cat didn’t have the opportunity to precise Ix-Maal location. The Shaman took charge of the cleric, and guided him to the rest of the caravan. Baal promised that the puma would return in two months with their council representative for the scheduled meeting.

 

The mounting birds were soon ready to go, and both kings gave their farewells. None of them whished to see the other ever again, but both knew that in a year they’d have to. For the last time.

 

The front gates opened and the jaguars’ delegation parted with a few more members than they had arrived with. No one noticed the small, cloaked figure that jumped from the shadows and nested among the bags and packages that one of the birds was carrying.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Claudus waited until the jaguars were disappearing a fair distance from the city’s walls to relax. He didn’t want to admit that Baal’s presence put him so nervous. The cat still had something precious to him in his power, and Claudus had not wanted to show just how much it pained him to not be able to see Tygra. He had understood that it had been part of the price to have his lion back. The jaguar king had known that Claudus would try to have his youngest son back first, and had been playing with him. Claudus hadn’t wanted to give Baal more power over him than the jaguar already had. Hadn’t wanted to give any reason for them to use Tygra against him in any way.

 

Claudus knew that his son would understand. The cleric they had sent had been instructed on what to say to the prince. Tygra just had to endure one more year, and then Baal would have to follow the letter of the treaty. The jaguar king was too proud to not to honour his own word, and the treaty was binding on both parts. Just one more year, and Tygra would be back home too.

 

Jaga sighed at Claudus’ side, contemplating the disappearing mounts.

 

“You know, Lion-O insists that there’s an invisible ship. That the jaguars have in fact achieved technology to the point of using it in their everyday lives.”

 

Claudus frowned. He had tried to keep contact with the invading jaguars at a minimum for the entire year. He could not wait to see them all gone for good.

 

“That’s preposterous. Technology is a myth.”

 

He repeated the phrase he had been telling himself since the first time he had reflected on that first and last battle, and had tried to analyse the strange weapons the jaguars had used. He had been trying to explain them in any other way than the obvious. Jaga was pensive.

 

“Perhaps. Maybe that’s the reason behind the jaguars’ power. Their capacity to create something impossible.”

 

Claudus growled. He didn’t want to acknowledge the truth that had been shoved to the deep recesses of his mind long ago.

 

“Baal was dangerous enough as it was! How was he able to obtain such a power!”

 

_‘Why it wasn’t us?’_ His mind provided.

 

Claudus made an effort to rein in his increasing anger and frustration. It had been a mistake. This whole ordeal had been the result of just a little mistake on his part. They had learned the hard way that Baal was the type of cat to hit first and ask later. Not one to look for a peaceful solution once he was angered. Claudus had spent the entire year fearing for his sons’ safety. He still was worried about Tygra. He didn’t want to imagine what his son had to endure in a kingdom obviously led by a heartless king. But Tygra was stronger than Lion-O. Without the burden of his little brother to worry about, Claudus was sure that Tygra would have an easier time taking care of himself. Jaga’s words took him back to the present moment.

 

“If he indeed has it, little it matter how he obtained it. I want to be sure first of what exactly is Lion-O talking about. We need all the facts to consider what to do. If we decide to do something at all with this new information.”

 

Claudus huffed. Not likely, since Tygra still was a war prisoner. Perhaps it had been a mistake to deny Baal’s offer of help with the mines. If they really had mastered technology, it would have been a great opportunity to assess just how far they have gone. But alas, the truth was that he didn’t want Baal to have anything to do with Thundera any more. He only wanted his two cubs back home.

 

“We’ll see. Like you said, we shall take everything in consideration.”

 

Jaga took in his king’s worried face and nodded.

 

“You’re worrying about Tygra.”

 

“I know he’s strong. But what he has to do is not a fight with an opponent. I wish we could have found a way to make this ‘alliance’ unnecessary.”

 

“He’d be fine. He’d see it as a duty, and that’d make things easier for him.”

 

“I just despise the idea of him to have to be touched in such a way. His first time Jaga! It should have been with a loved partner, preferably a female partner. Now he’s forced to give that away to fulfil a duty. And to a male that’s ten years his senior! Who knows what he’d want to do to Tygra? I wish there was a way to make sure that he’s not going to hurt my son!”

 

“Calm down. I know the situation is far from ideal. But perhaps the age difference would work as an advantage. I seriously doubt that prince Jareid would be satisfied with a young, inexperienced partner like Tygra. He seems the type that can have many suitors to choose from. He’d do his duty one night, and then leave Tygra alone. In a normal situation he’d never look Tygra’s way twice.”

 

“I hope you’re right. I sincerely hope that my son wouldn’t have to endure the jaguar prince’s touch more than once. This year could not be over fast enough.”

 

A sound at their back distracted both cats from their argument. A young cleric apprentice was waiting a few steps behind them.

 

“You called for me, master Jaga.”

 

“Yes Cheetara. Come, it’s time for you to meet your charge.”

 

“Is this the guard you have chosen for Lion-O?”

 

“Yes. Do not let her youth to deceive you. She’s the most advanced of the apprentices. In fact, only her age is preventing her from doing the initiation already.”

 

Claudus nodded his consent. The trio walked towards the prince’s rooms. Lion-O should be anxious. The king wanted to have a long talk with his son, and give him the greeting he could not earlier.

 

They entered the room. There was light coming through the window, as the sun was low in the sky but still not setting. Claudus looked everywhere, but his son was not on sight. Furrowing his eyebrows, he called for him without answer. Cheetara found a folded paper on the prince’s bed, and presented it to the king.

 

Claudus was starting to worry. The contents of the paper did nothing to set his fears down.

 

_‘A good parent is always there when his children need him. Tygra needed you!’_

 

“Find him. Search the entire palace, find him!”

 

The royal guard was on alert in seconds. The palace was a blur of activity as everyone looked for the missing prince. No one was able to find him.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Lion-O held a tight grip on the bird he was hiding on top of. The bags the animal was carrying were voluminous and hide his crouched form well. He only hoped that no one checked his room and discovered his absence before the ship took off. A distressed mew from under his cloak made him tighten his hold.

 

“Shh, Snarf. Be quiet! No one can know we’re here.”

 

He held his breath until he was certain that they were boarding the ship. Even then, he didn’t get out from his hiding place among the packages until he felt the movement of the ship getting off. He got down from the bird, which was already sitting and waiting for someone to free it from its burden.

 

The cargo area was big. Lion-O looked for the compartments that were meant as storage space. He found one just in time, as some of the warriors entered the cargo to relieve the birds of the packages. The lion hid and waited as the jaguars store the supplies away. His hiding place was soon occupied, but fortunately no one noticed him. If he was found, Baal could order to turn back, and Lion-O was not willing to be left behind in Thundera. He was going to be at his brother’s side, even if he had to oppose his own father.

 

The warriors finished, and the door of the compartment was closed. Lion-O moved over the packages to push it. It was sealed, and there was no way to open it from the inside. He was stuck.

 

“Well, we’d have to wait ‘till they get all of this out.”

 

He got comfortable with Snarf, and covered them both with the cloak. He was asleep half way towards their destination.

 


	9. Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

Jareid lied in bed with Tygra’s unmoving form in his arms. He had the unwelcome feeling that he was holding an unresponsive doll. He knew that Tygra was awake, but had not made any attempt to change his position. There was no more sobbing, and no more tears. The jaguar prince was confused. What could have triggered Tygra’s outburst? Was his brother really that important to him?

 

Jareid felt jealousy rise in him all of a sudden. Tygra was his! He should not have such strong feelings for anyone else! He was his family now!

 

He grabbed the back of Tygra’s head and forced the teen to look at him. He wanted to make it clear that Tygra didn’t need anyone else but him. However, the brown eyes that stared back at him with no emotion at all stopped him on his tracks. They were dull, and dead. Jareid had the impression that those eyes were staring right through him and not seeing anything. He didn’t like them. He wanted Tygra to react, and so he said the first thing that came to mind.

 

“So much grief over a troublesome kit. You don’t need him. I should be good enough for you!”

 

A mirthless phantom of a smile, and then Tygra spoke, his voice monotonous and as dead as his eyes.

 

“Funny you say that. When it’s I the one not good enough. Never good enough.”

 

Jareid scowled at Tygra.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

The tiger shrugged and continued staring at him. He made no move to try to free himself from the painful grasp that Jareid had on his mane.

 

“It doesn’t really matter. It’s just a matter of time before you too decide that you want something better. Someone better.”

 

“What are you talking about? How many times have I told you that you’re mine Tygra? You belong to me! You’re my gift.”

 

“So you say. So they said too.”

 

Jareid blinked in confusion. His free hand grabbed the tiger’s jaw a bit roughly.

 

“Who?”

 

“They. My parents. Mother used to tell me that I was their gift. Her little prince.”

 

Jareid softened his grip on Tygra. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to deal with Tygra’s strange mood.

 

“Your birth mother?”

 

Tygra shook his head in denial. He gave a soft sigh, but his voice continued in its dead tone.

 

“Never met her. I don’t remember anything before Thundera. They said that I fell from the sky in a floating basket. The king and queen had wished so long for a cub, so they took me. Mother said that I was a gods’ send. Something precious.”

 

Jareid looked as Tygra’s eyes filled slowly with sadness. He wanted to growl. He didn’t consider that as an improvement. Tygra continued after a short pause and a soft sigh.

 

“But I wasn’t what she needed. They didn’t want a tiger. She tried again to get pregnant. To give Claudus the heir he wanted. I couldn’t be the future king. Mother wanted a lion cub, even if it killed her… and it did… She died because I was not a lion.”

 

Tygra’s eyes focused and Jareid knew that he’d never forget the hurt reflected in them.

 

“So, you see? In the end, not even a gods’ gift was good enough.”

 

Jareid growled and held Tygra close. He didn’t know what to do. How could he ever hope to comfort Tygra? The root of the problem was deep within the tiger’s past. Jareid understood that Tygra felt abandoned. Not wanted.

 

“I’ll never leave you.” He said because he honestly couldn’t think of anything else. Tygra answered softly.

 

“You say that now.”

 

A deep growl escaped Jareid’s throat. He was going to hurt someone. He didn’t know who, but someone surely was to blame for his mate’s sadness.

 

The ring of a bell distracted him. It was the alarm that told him that someone was at the door of his set of rooms, asking for entrance. He left Tygra on the bed and hurried to answer. He hoped it was Bengali, because he needed help.

 

Thankfully he was still dressed. He had never gotten to rid himself, or Tygra, off their clothes last night. So, he was able to go open the door without delay.

 

Bengali was at the other side, a cheerful expression on his face, and a teen lion beside him. Jareid stopped and blinked at them.

 

“Look who was hiding in the storage compartments! I brought him here because Tygra was so upset yesterday, I thought he’d like to see his brother.”

 

Jareid stared stupidly at the young lion, barely noticing the snarf on the teen’s arms, or the dark cloak over his shoulder. He stood there gaping for the few moments it took for his brain to catch up on the fact that Tygra’s brother was really in front of him. Then he grabbed the teen’s shoulder and dragged him through the sitting room. He hastily opened the door to the study and unceremoniously shoved Lion-O inside, ordering him to go talk to his brother. He closed the door immediately and turned around to confront the confused white tiger.

 

Lion-O almost fell on his face when Jareid pushed him into the study. He glared indignantly at the closed door and cursed under his breath, damning selfish, egotistical princes to hell and back. Then he looked around him in confusion. Why was he in Jareid’s study?

 

Soon however, he spotted the arch that opened to the last of the rooms, and Lion-O let Snarf jump to the floor and guide the way.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra didn’t move from his position. What was the point? Jareid’s only interest in him was in bed, so he should stay there. He wanted to scratch his arms badly, and he started to bit his inner lip strong enough to draw blood. He focused on the pain and closed his eyes while he bit again, and again. He welcomed the pain. Anything that distracted him from the deep, overwhelming ache in his heart was welcomed. His claws started to scratch his left upper arm vigorously. He wanted to stop thinking. He wanted to forget.

 

Something landed on the bed. Tygra could feel the light disturbance on the mattress. However, he didn’t react until he sensed a presence in front of his face, and a wet tongue licked his nose. Tygra’s eyes widened in alarm. For some seconds he couldn’t do anything but stare at the furry face before him.

 

“Snarf?”

 

“Wow. This place is huge!”

 

Tygra bolted upright and gaped at his brother, who was looking around the room in awe.

 

“I don’t think that even father’s bedroom is this big! You could fit a small army on the bed!”

 

Snarf mewled in agreement. Tygra was absolutely stunned. Lion-O looked out the window, still in awe of the room.

 

“The view is astounding! You can see the entire yard, and the east garden. And the jungle!”

 

Tygra closed his mouth and gave a deep breath. After a few more seconds he felt like he could talk.

 

“Lion-O. What are you doing here?” He inquired softly. The young lion climbed on the bed.

 

“Come on Tygra! You seriously didn’t think that I’d leave you here, with all the cool things to do to yourself, did you? You know I love this place!”

 

Tygra crossed his legs to be more comfortable, and considered his brother.

 

“Does father know that you’re here?”

 

Lion-O shrugged while he petted Snarf. The pet had found a cosy spot to curl into.

 

“I left a note.” He said nonchalantly.

 

“You…? Lion-O!”

 

Before his brother could lecture him, the young lion launched himself towards Tygra, and put his arms around the surprised tiger’s neck, hugging him tight for all he was worth. After only a few seconds, Tygra was returning the hug, just as tightly.

 

No one talked for long minutes. Tygra was doing a supreme effort to drown the sobs that stubbornly wanted to get out. When had his little brother become so important for his sanity? Surely it was not normal to feel so lost, just because he had thought that his sibling had gone away. He barely heard Lion-O speaking.

 

“You’re my brother. I need you. I could never leave you alone. I promised.”

 

Tygra clenched his eyes shut to deny the tears that were threatening to fall. He breathed deeply twice, and rubbed his cheek against his brother’s mane.

 

“Lion-O… Thank you.”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Baal couldn’t help it when the servants informed him of the little lion they had found in the cargo. He laughed.

 

To tell the truth, he had been counting on Lion-O not being happy with Claudus’ decision. He had expected the rascal to get in touch with Xiao or Bengali, and to press his father to let him return to his brother’s side. Baal had been prepared to send someone to pick up the brat. He had been sure that Lion-O would eventually manage to convince Claudus to let him go. It seemed that the lion cub had surpassed his expectations and had saved them the need for another travel. Claudus must be seething.

 

Jareid was annoyed as hell, and for a moment Baal feared that his son would do something stupid. Thankfully, Tygra’s improved mood seemed to mollify his stubborn – and jealous – mate. Jareid ended up grudgingly approving of Lion-O’s actions. After all, who’d want to be stuck in such a boring place like Thundera? It was evident that Jareid thought very little of the city, and Baal knew that his son would consider any place that lacked tech boring.

 

Thundera’s cleric had been fuming. He demanded that Lion-O was returned home without delay. He pointed out that there was a signed pact that prevented the prince from ever returning to Ix-Maal. The High Shaman had to inform the cleric, with great pleasure, that while the pact stated that no one could force Lion-O to visit Ix-Maal, it didn’t say anything that stopped the lion prince from going to the jaguars’ city by his own volition.

 

Since Lion-O had travelled to the jungle without anyone noticing, Baal didn’t have the obligation to return him. After all, if Claudus couldn’t keep track of his own offspring it was not Baal’s problem. Furthermore, his engineers talked wonders about the little lion’s abilities. It was clear that the teen had a talent that could not be appreciated in his own home. Why let it go to waste?

 

Besides, they couldn’t have Tygra in a depressive crisis _this_ close to the ceremony. Bengali had reported Tygra’s reaction to his brother’s apparent absence and Baal hadn’t liked it one bit. The tiger prince evidently had too many issues concerning family that had not been allowed to express themselves, therefore have not healed. Baal knew that Jareid was hardly the most ideal person to put whatever were Tygra’s fears to rest, but he’d have to do. And he better do it quickly, because after the ceremony there still was another little bomb that they’d have to drop on Tygra.

 

For the moment it was enough that the young tiger was in as good a disposition as he could be for the mating ceremony. They’d sort other problems when they presented themselves.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra stared at his mirror reflexion, trying to make sense of the fact that his ceremony was taking place in only a few more minutes. He was in a changing room, specially prepared for that day. Bengali had helped him to get ready, though it really wasn’t much to be done. The attire he was wearing was very simple, but elegant in its own right. Formal white trousers, and feet wear that was comfortable enough. A white, loose robe, sleeveless, and knee length, with a golden pattern of glyphs all along the edge. No buttons, so his chest was fairly on the open. The fabric was soft and really light, and Tygra had the fleeting sensation that he was wearing nothing at all. His neck was exposed, and Jareid’s mark was all too evident to whoever wanted to look for it.

 

He absently thought that white was not really his colour.

 

He sighed in resignation. He was nervous, and he really shouldn’t be. He was just fulfilling a requirement for the alliance between Thundera and Ix-Maal to be official. What was to be nervous about? It was just a ceremony! It wasn’t as if he had not been sleeping in Jareid’s bed for months!

 

He growled in frustration. He couldn’t help it, he was bloody nervous!

 

He started nibbling his lower lip absently, wishing that the shamans hurried up so they could start already.

 

“You really should find another way to show your anxiety. You’re gonna give Ben a coronary.”

 

Tygra turned his head towards the voice. Jareid was approaching him in very much the same attire as him. The tiger blushed. He still was embarrassed about his actions the previous day. He had conducted himself like a little kit! He clenched his fists and pressed his lips in a thin line.

 

“… Sorry… Should you be here?”

 

“I don’t really care. We are already mated.”

 

Tygra huffed and turned back to see his reflexion.

 

“Besides, you still need something.”

 

He produced a jade pendant and hung it around Tygra’s neck. The tiger analyzed it curiously in the mirror. It fell right at the middle of his chest. In it was engraved a moon and a dagger. The clan’s symbol. There were runes marking the periphery of the circle. Tygra couldn’t distinguish them very well. Jareid leaned over him from behind and kissed his neck. His hands roamed over Tygra’s arms and stopped to lightly trace the claw marks that the tiger had inflicted on himself during his break down.

 

Tygra blushed again. The marks were barely visible, but Bengali had noticed them, and had thrown a fit about them. Jareid straightened and looked at their joined reflexion.

 

“You look precious.”

 

Tygra gulped. There were a myriad of feelings in his heart at the time. Strangely, the one he acknowledged was relief that he had grown quite a bit on the last year. The top of his head now reached Jareid’s lips. The difference between their heights and body built was still glaringly noticeable, but at least he no longer looked like a bloody child at Jareid’s side. They could do the part of a young, “happy” couple quite well.

 

Jareid pressed his chest against Tygra’s back. His hands took advantage of the design of the open robe and one of them roamed over the youth’s belly, while another playfully pinched a tender nipple. Tygra groaned, but made no effort to stop Jareid. He had had an entire year to get used to the jaguar’s hands touching every part of his body. He knew he couldn’t deny Jareid anything. His pride had capitulated a long time ago. The older prince had conditioned him too well. However, when a hand tried to insert itself under his trousers, both of his hands latched on to Jareid’s arm in a panic.

 

“No! Please Jareid, not now.”

 

The jaguar nibbled Tygra’s ear, causing him shivers.

 

“Why? We still have plenty of time.”

 

Tygra groaned. He didn’t understand Jareid’s apparent need to be all over him the moment he was within arms reach.

 

“Do you ever think of something that doesn’t imply sex?”

 

Jareid smirked, and continued toying with his mate’s nipples.

 

“Now, what would be the fun in that?”

 

“Jareid, please…”

 

“Jareid!”

 

The couple turned to the door where a flustered Bengali in full ceremonial regalia, was glaring disapprovingly at the prince. Tygra sighed in relief.

 

“What do you think you’re doing? Leave Tygra alone!”

 

Jareid rolled his eyes, but complied with Ben’s wishes and unhandled the orange tiger.

 

“Come on Ben! It’s hardly inappropriate to touch my own mate!”

 

“It is if you’re doing it when you should be already down for the ceremony! Get out of here! Honestly!”

 

Jareid gave a last kiss to Tygra’s head and marched out of the room with a big smirk on his face.

 

Bengali huffed and hurried to Tygra’s side to make sure that his attire had not been ruined.

 

“Really! I can’t believe that cat! I should put a collar on him!”

 

Tygra chuckled. It was funny that Bengali held such power over Jareid. He knew that the jaguar only obeyed the shaman when it fit him, but it was still evident to him that Jareid preferred to keep peace with his stripped friend. It was a testament of how much the prince really appreciated that particular friendship.

 

Ben was satisfied that Jareid hadn’t done much damage, and eyed the pendant on Tygra’s neck.

 

“Ah, he had it. I was looking for that. Here, you should wear this too.”

 

He took out a simple tiara. Tygra gasped in surprise. It was his tiara. The one he wore in Thundera for official events. His eyes looked to Ben’s questioningly.

 

“The cleric brought it. He wanted to give it to you himself, but Baal has decided to be paranoid and ordered to not leave him alone with you. At least until the ceremony has ended. But if you want to speak with him I can stay here with you. I think he wanted to tell you something.”

 

Tygra pressed his lips and thought about it. The cleric surely had a message from Claudus. Tygra’s right hand automatically went to his left arm and his fingers brushed over the scars he had inflicted. He felt Bengali tense, ready to stop him if needed. Tygra sighed, suddenly grateful that Claudus was not there after all. He knew that the king would be able to see that he was not the same tiger that had once lived in Thundera. He didn’t want his father to know how much he had changed. The lion would be disappointed, and Tygra didn’t want to deal with that on top of everything else. He didn’t worry too much about the cleric. It was improbable that the cat noticed anything wrong with him. He took the tiara from Bengali’s hands and shook his head.

 

“No. Not now at least. Maybe later. That is, if Jareid would leave me alone long enough.”

 

He gingerly put the thin golden circlet on top of his head and sighed at his reflexion. Ben smiled encouragingly at him.

 

“You look really handsome.”

 

The white tiger chuckled at the embarrassed groan of the young one, and patted his shoulder blades.

 

“Come on, let’s get this over with.”

 

Tygra nodded and went without protest.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The ceremony was being held inside the Sanctuary. A pyramid like structure, big enough to house about a hundred people. Only the High council and close family were allowed to witness the ceremony, besides a few special guests. They were representing the few allies that the jaguars had. Thundera’s Cleric was permitted to attend due to be Claudus’ representation.

 

There was to be a celebration after the ceremony was over, and that was open to whoever wanted to be there. One of the gardens had been already prepared. Most of the city was going to be in attendance. It was a rare occasion that the palace’s gardens were open to the public.

 

Tygra stood in front of a small altar in the middle of the Sanctuary. He eyed the items laid down there a bit suspiciously. He had memorized the ritual that was going to take place and knew what was expected of him. It was an alliance bonding ritual. One of the most simple, but powerful in its own right. Anything that used blood to seal a pact was. Anxiousness ran through Tygra’s spine again and he looked around to cover his nerves.

 

The Sanctuary didn’t look so big from the inside. The white walls were covered in wines that at the time were entirely full of blooming flowers, white and purple. They ran along the space given to them forming arches and triskels. There was a ritual circle on the floor made of salt and earth, with runes surrounding the centre where the altar stood. Floating above the periphery were bouquets of blood red flowers with a single white one in every one. The place was inundated in light. The top of the pyramid was constructed with a translucent stone that looked like crystal, allowing the sun to illuminate and warm the inside of the Sanctuary. Tygra thought that everything looked very pretty. Now if only he would stop feeling anxious.

 

Jareid was at his side, looking amusedly at him. Bastard.

 

Tygra was somewhat relieved that there were relatively few cats inside the Sanctuary with them. Besides the high council and their respective families, and few guests, only five shamans were present. Four of them were taking their places outside the ritual circle and the High Shaman would be guiding the little ceremony. Tygra shuddered, thinking about the amount of people he had seen on their way to the Sanctuary. It was not far from the palace, but they had had to cross a long street full of curious citizens to get there. He berated himself mentally. He had never been shy. What the hell was wrong with him?

 

The High Shaman stood up to the altar signalling that everything was ready to begin. Tygra sighed deeply and turned slightly to face Jareid. The jaguar’s hands took his and Tygra made an effort to keep his eyes open and not bit his lips. Jareid was dressed in the same clothes he was. The only difference between their attires was the tiaras. Tygra’s circlet was made of gold and had a single small ruby at the forefront. Jareid’s was made of jade, like the pendant, with white and purple quartz forming a rune at the front. The High Shaman began the rite, and the candles on the altar lighted. The smell of copal filled the air as the Shaman called on the Spirits to bear witness to the bonding taking place. Tygra inhaled the strong aroma and surprisingly felt more relaxed. He barely took notice of the other four shamans chanting quietly in the background or the tenuous luminescence that the circle on the floor took. He was only focused on Jareid’s words.

 

“I, Jareid of the jaguar clan, crown prince of Ix-Maal, am here to seal the alliance between our people, by taking you, Tygra, as my life partner. May this bonding honour the pact our clans have agreed upon.”

 

Tygra gulped and said his part, almost the same as Jareid’s, only changing a few words.

 

“I, Tygra of the lion’s clan by adoption, prince of Thundera, am here to seal the alliance between our people by accepting you, Jareid, as my life partner. May this bonding honour the pact our clans have agreed upon.”

 

They both were handed a ritual obsidian dagger, and Tygra almost flinched. This part of the ritual had not been to Bengali’s liking due to Tygra’s emotional issues, but it was necessary to seal their bonding. Both princes held the sharp edge of the daggers at their right palms and sliced at the same time. Then they joined their injured hands and pressed. The mixed blood fell onto a quartz calyx that the high shaman held under their hands. It had been previously filled with a ritual beverage. The transparent liquid turned crimson and both cats recited together the last part of their dialog.

 

“We join our lives, to make new blood together.”

 

There was something about this particular ritual at the back of Tygra’s mind that was starting to try to get the tiger’s attention. Some information that he had deemed unnecessary. Alas, this was not the time to be wondering about it. Jareid had taken the calyx and drank half of its contents, and was now presenting it to Tygra. The tiger took it and drank what was left, making a face at the strong taste of alcohol and blood. The drink burned his throat, and he had to do a supreme effort to swallow all of it ‘till the last drop. He felt a bit dizzy when the Shaman took the calyx away from him and handed him a cloth to bandage his still bleeding hand. Damn! He should have asked what exactly he was going to drink. The ritual liquid of the clerics was made of seeds, but this was far stronger. Tygra breathed and put his hands on Jareid’s again, thankful to have something to ground himself. The shaman was reciting the last part of the ritual.

 

“May this bonding bring peace and prosperity to our clans, and the spirits’ blessings guide you in your future together.”

 

Tygra was barely aware of the bouquets of flowers exploding and showering them with red and a few white petals. The shamans were chanting the last words to close the ritual and Jareid kissed him. Tygra was afraid to move too much, he was still feeling disoriented.

 

“Are you all right? You look a bit off.”

 

Tygra gulped and leaned on Jareid’s side to walk out of the Sanctuary.

 

“I’m fine, just…”

 

The first steps were awkward and he had to grab Jareid’s arm. He scowled at the chuckle that he could hear form the jaguar.

 

“It’s not funny! And what the hell was in that drink anyway?”

 

“Oh, not used to strong liquors my tiger? Sorry, I thought that Bengali had told you.”

 

“I didn’t think to ask.”

 

“Well, it’s really just a spirit from lychee. A bit strong, but you should be fine in no time.”

 

Tygra growled, but he didn’t have the opportunity to complaint more. They stopped at the Sanctuary’s entrance and his eyes grew wide when he looked at the amount of people present. It seemed like the entire city was waiting for them in the Sanctuary’s front yard.

 

“People of Ix-Maal. Here you have your future royal couple!”

 

There was a general ovation and Tygra felt a bit overwhelmed. He knew that Ix-Maal was smaller than Thundera, but at the moment he could have sworn that it had twice the population. Jareid smiled widely and greeted the masses. Tygra did his best to follow his example. After a few moments he had sobered up entirely and had fell into the comfortable role of prince. He had survived the ceremony. He could survive the party just as well.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The palace gardens were big, but Tygra was still astounded that so many people had fit in there. And it didn’t look so crowded that you couldn’t move around. Everyone had wanted to be present for the toast. Tygra looked around as everybody mingled and admired the gardens.

 

Some servants were distributing snacks and drinks and some couples were dancing. He and Jareid had already danced the first piece, as was tradition, and then they had taken their seats at their table. There was going to be a feast later, and Tygra was honestly waiting for it. Now that he was considerably calmer, he was starting to get hungry.

 

He glanced at his side, where a noble female was blatantly flirting with Jareid. The jaguar looked very amused by her efforts, and Tygra rolled his eyes in contempt. He knew that Jareid would eventually want a consort. Who was going to provide him an heir? And the females of the court were preying on the one thing they knew they could give to the crown prince. Still, did they have to be so shameless?

 

He wanted to stand up and go in search of Lion-O, who surely was up to some mischief somewhere, but Jareid’s hand grabbing his was preventing him from doing so. The jaguar had not released his hand since they had left the Sanctuary, and his grip tightened every time Tygra moved to get away. It was very annoying.

 

The girl in front of them practically lay down on the table to try and kiss Jareid, and Tygra growled. He finally managed to free his hand, only to have Jareid’s arm around his waist pulling him against his mate’s side. He had to grab Jareid’s thigh to prevent himself from falling off the chair. Jareid kissed his mouth soundly and Tygra could hear the scoff of scorn that the girl gave. He pushed Jareid away and glared at him. The jaguar prince chuckled.

 

“Don’t be so upset my tiger. You know I prefer to have you in my arms than any of them.”

 

“I’m not upset!” Tygra said, but he felt satisfied that the woman had gone away. “If they want to throw themselves at your feet, they could at least show some decency and do it in private.”

 

Jareid smirked, amused.

 

“Tygra, you know decency is not a trait many of the court exhibit.”

 

“Well, they should!”

 

Jareid kissed him again, and both of them returned to look at the party and made small talk with whatever cat that approached them.

 

After some time, Tygra finally managed to get away from Jareid to have a walk around with his Hunter friends. The jaguar had not been happy to let him go, but Bengali had distracted him while Tygra had made his escape. He just needed a bit of space, he felt crowded enough as it was.

 

He spent some moments chatting with his teammates, and then he walked around the garden, looking for Lion-O. He spotted him near a fountain with other kits around his age, and walked towards them, just to make sure that his brother was not causing troubles. He was intercepted however, by the Thunderian cleric, who had not had the opportunity to talk with him until then.

 

“My prince, a word if you please.”

 

“Of course. Yabin is it?”

 

“Yes. It’s been quite difficult to get to you.”

 

Tygra shrugged noncommittally.

 

“Well, it’s been pretty hectic around.”

 

“I understand.”

 

Yabin looked significantly towards the main table, where Jareid was apparently discussing something with his father. Tygra shrugged again and felt little hands grabbing his right arm. He glanced downwards to realize that Yeana had attached herself to him. He let her be, and focused his attention on the cleric. The puma scanned their immediate surroundings quickly and nodded. He guided Tygra to a spot where a trellis hid them from direct view of the main table and they were more or less isolated. He didn’t notice the little girl on Tygra’s arm.

 

“My prince, I know this situation is hard on you, but your father is confident that you’re going to perform your duty to the best of your abilities. He knows that he has placed a heavy burden on you, but he also knows that it won’t break you. You only have to remember that it’s your people you saved. When you’re in prince Jareid’s bed tonight you’d just have to focus on doing your part, have in mind that it’s only your duty, nothing more.”

 

Tygra was blushing fiercely. He nodded at the cleric, but prayed that the cat would just wish him luck and be done with it. Fortunately he didn’t think that Yeana understood what they were talking about, or he might just die of embarrassment. The cleric continued.

 

“The prince is honour bound to treat you respectfully. He has the obligation to be sure that you’re as comfortable as possible giving the circumstances. If you feel anything amiss, or if he hurts you, you are to stop him immediately.”

 

Tygra wanted to scoff in derision. He only stopped himself because he didn’t want the cleric to know that it was already too late for any piece of advice he’d want to give. And how exactly was he supposed to stop Jareid anyway? There was no stopping the jaguar once he had set his mind! And there was no fighting him either! Tygra had already tried and had gotten himself raped for his efforts. He shuddered at the memory and tried to cover it by nodding.

 

“I understand. You don’t have to worry.”

 

The cleric returned the nod, satisfied.

 

“You also must remember that your obligation with the prince is only for tonight to seal the pact, but after this you don’t have to share his bed anymore. You can put as much distance between you as possible. If he wants to satisfy his needs, he can do it elsewhere. You don’t have to stop him. You can even encourage him to find a consort, that way he wouldn’t have an excuse to touch you again. Given what I’d heard about him, he won’t need much encouragement. He’d leave you alone.”

 

Tygra scoffed this time. As if. Jareid was obsessed with him, and Tygra had already resigned himself to the fact that he couldn’t do anything to make the jaguar leave him alone. The cleric then put a hand on the tiger’s shoulder.

 

“I know that life away from home is hard, much more in your situation my prince. But you’re strong enough to take care of yourself. Besides, with your brother in Thundera again, you won’t have to worry about him.”

 

Tygra scowled.

 

“Lion-O is here. I thought…”

 

“He’s here because he has never been good at following orders. He’s supposed to stay in Thundera, where he belongs. I’m taking him back with me, so don’t worry, he’s not going to be bothering you any more.”

 

Tygra almost growled. He didn’t like the undertone of despise that he noticed in the cleric’s voice when talking about Lion-O. He felt Yeana pressing herself at his back and he resisted the urge to punch the puma.

 

“My brother is not causing me any trouble. Quite the contrary, in fact, he has been a great help. And I really doubt that Baal would waste time sending him to Thundera, when he obviously would only find a way to turn back.”

 

“He has the duty to be in his own city, you know that my prince. Your brother has obligations there, and he shouldn’t be allowed to ignore them! He has been allowed laziness for far too long! I know that you’d prefer him within range, so you can make sure he’s not causing problems with his… recklessness. He has been like your charge since he was born. But leave the burden to your father my prince. He’s going to take care of it.”

 

Tygra clenched his teeth. A bit late, after thirteen years of just ignoring Lion-O’s needs. He didn’t want his brother taken away from him, and the reason was very different from the one the cleric had expressed. He was about to make that clear to the puma, but the cleric had not finished yet.

 

“Besides, you only have to endure one more year in this hellish place, and then you’d return home too.”

 

Tygra felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been poured on him. He stared at the cleric in complete shock.

 

“What? B-but, the treaty…”

 

“It’s the reason why your father realized that there was no need to worry. If the treaty remains as it is, you’d have no more reason to stay here in a years’ time. You’d be able to return home and to your family then.”

 

Tygra knew he was gaping. That just couldn’t be true.

 

“What does it say exactly?”

 

The puma smiled, and patted Tygra’s arm.

 

“Nothing that stands on plain view of course. But have in mind that every bonding has certain conditions that must be fulfilled.”

 

Tygra was trying to make sense of the cleric’s words, and about to demand further explanation when a servant interrupted them to tell them that the feast was ready to begin. Tygra had to return to Jareid’s side for the toast, and the cleric gave him a final encouraging gesture before disappearing among the people to go to his place. Tygra felt Yeana pulling at his arm insistently.

 

“It’s not true Tygra. I know it’s not true! Both you and Lion-O are living here with us. Father said so!”

 

The tiger looked down. He had momentarily forgotten about Jareid’s sister’s presence. He tried to smile reassuringly at her.

 

“You’re right Yeana. He must be confused. Come, let’s go to our seats.”

 

They picked Lion-O on their way, and walked together to the main table. When they were closer, both Yeana and Lion-O ran to their seats. Well, Lion-O sat at his place, and Yeana climbed on her father’s lap. Tygra watched the small girl hurriedly telling something to Baal, and the king’s brows frowning in annoyance. Tygra clenched his fists. Of course Baal had no qualms in sending his daughter to spy on Tygra. She was perfect for the job. The cleric had never realized that their little chat had had a witness.

 

The tiger prince was terribly confused. He looked around him and back at the main table. The cleric was mistaken. He had to be. Why would Baal go through the trouble to prepare all of this if the mating was only going to last a year? It made no sense!

 

Yabin had mentioned the ritual, but Tygra couldn’t, for the life of him, remember anything that could possibly be wrong with the ritual. It had been carefully planned and performed flawlessly. There hadn’t been anything out of place, and no error in the process. It was a life-time bonding for the spirits’ sake! Last time Tygra checked a year was not the definition of _life-time_!

 

A hand rested on his lower back and he turned to find Jareid practically over him.

 

“Are you all right? Father said I’d better come for you.”

 

Tygra sighed. He needed to think, and it was evident that he was in the wrong place to do it.

 

“It’s nothing. The cleric just gave me a message from my father, but it doesn’t really make sense, so…”

 

“Forget it.”

 

Tygra stared at Jareid in surprise. The jaguar had a hard expression on his face.

 

“Uh?”

 

“Forget it Tygra. Whatever he said, it doesn’t concern you anymore.” A hand was suddenly grabbing Tygra’s neck from behind, and Jareid pulled the teen towards himself. Tygra gasped and put his hands against Jareid’s chest. “I’ve told you, you’re mine. This is your home now. Forget about Thundera, whatever happens there is not your problem. You’re never going back there.”

 

Tygra looked at Jareid’s eyes, to the spark of obsession that was there. He understood in that moment that even if the cleric was right, and there really was a way for him to return home, it didn’t matter. Jareid was not letting him go away. He’d never let Tygra go.

 

“I know. I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying here with you.”

 

Jareid nodded, satisfied with Tygra’s answer. Then his hand released the tiger’s neck and grabbed the slender hip. He guided his mate to the table for the toast, and the words that would preside the feast.

 

Some hours later, both princes retired to their room to spend what was to be their first night as an “official” couple.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The first thing they did upon entering the bedroom was put the tiaras and pendants away. Then Jareid lifted Tygra in his arms, earning a loud protest from his mate, which was summarily ignored. He carried the protesting tiger to the bed and dropped him on the mattress. He didn’t let Tygra recover. He was over the teen in an instant, ridding him of his clothes almost desperately. Tygra protested the rough treatment, but realizing that he was not likely to be able to stop Jareid, he sighed and let the jaguar do what he wanted.

 

Jareid made quick work of Tygra’s clothes, and rid himself of his own robe. Then he kissed Tygra’s mouth almost forcefully. The tiger whimpered and dutifully parted his lips to allow Jareid to thoroughly ravish the inside of his mouth, while the jaguar’s hands ran along his body. Jareid was anxious. He knew that his mate was probably exhausted, but he needed to claim him that night, not only to seal the bonding, also because he wanted Tygra to forget all about the cleric and whatever rubbish the puma had told him. He needed Tygra to remember that he belonged to Jareid, and that he was never leaving the jaguar’s side, no matter what.

 

Tygra moved under Jareid’s weight, opening his thighs to accommodate the other better between them. Trembling hands started to work on Jareid’s trousers and the jaguar stopped his ministrations to Tygra’s body to help his mate and dispose of the final pieces of clothe. As soon as that was done, he put one hand behind Tygra’s neck, precisely at the base, and lifted the teen just enough to bite the juncture of neck and shoulder. Tygra cried and one hand grasped Jareid’s mane while the other clawed at the bed covers. Jareid didn’t draw blood, but he knew that his mate would be sporting an impressive bruise for some days. He sucked and licked repeatedly while his hands roamed down the tiger’s torso and finally grabbed the teen’s buttocks, squeezing and playing with them. Tygra whimpered, half in pain and half in pleasure. He was still learning to enjoy Jareid’s treatment and not only tolerate it.

 

Jareid’s mouth paused and the strong hands moved to grab Tygra’s hips. With a subtle movement, Jareid rubbed his fully erect member against Tygra’s semi-erect one. The tiger gasped and his eyes closed. His breath became erratic as Jareid continued rubbing their sex together until Tygra was fully erect too.

 

The tiger’s hands were on Jareid’s chest and torso, tentatively starting their own exploration. Jareid groaned and attacked his mate’s body with hands and mouth. Touching, grasping, biting and licking. Tygra’s entire body would be covered in marks the next day. Finally, Jareid’s mouth reached Tygra’s erection, and he took it in completely. Tygra gasped. His hips tried to move against Jareid’s hands. The jaguar licked and deep throated him. It only lasted for a short moment. Jareid returned to attend Tygra’s upper half, leaving the tiger desperate for more stimulation, and moving his hips up and down to try and rub himself against Jareid again.

 

The jaguar smirked and grabbed the teen’s shaft with one hand, while he kissed him. Tygra growled and almost begged Jareid to work on him again. The older cat guided one of his mate’s hands to his own erection, and Tygra quickly caught on what he had to do. He started to stroke hard enough to make it pleasant for Jareid. Two fingers were suddenly inserted in his mouth, and Jareid huskily ordered.

 

“Lick. Get them well coated.”

 

Tygra whimpered. He knew he was in for a rough ride. He obeyed Jareid with some fear, not daring to stop moving his hand on the other’s erection. He had to get Jareid as wet as possible with pre-cum, so his own ass won’t suffer too much for lack of proper lubrication. Jareid continued working on him too in a sedate pace, enough to keep Tygra aroused, but not to send him over the edge.

 

After a few moments, Jareid pulled his fingers out of the tiger’s mouth, and shoved them impatiently into the teen’s opening. Tygra cried in pain at the violent intrusion, and clenched his eyes shut, willing himself to relax and continue breathing. Jareid’s fingers moved inside him expertly, and soon they found just the right spot to make him forget about the pain. Tygra arched his back and mewled in pleasure. Jareid rubbed insistently that one spot, until he had the tiger trashing. The teen’s hands were firmly against the jaguar’s biceps, trying to get some leverage.

 

Jareid pulled his fingers out, and before Tygra registered the movement, the jaguar had already lifted his thighs a bit, grabbed his hips, and thrust inside his still tight and barely prepared channel. Tygra sent his head back and yowled loudly. His claws pierced the fur on Jareid’s arms and his legs kicked uselessly. Jareid gave two hard thrusts to be fully seated inside the young tiger, and then thankfully stopped. Tygra was biting his lower lip and shedding tears. It just hurt too much. He couldn’t feel anything but bitter pain, and terror starting to get a hold of his mind, sending it back to that first time on the courtyard.

 

_‘No, no please, no… stopstopstop, please stop…’_

 

Hands were touching him on places that felt good. They managed to chase away the terror enough for him to understand Jareid’s words.

 

“Breath. Breath with me Tygra, don’t panic. You’re here. You’re safe. It’s gonna feel good, I promise.”

 

Tygra gulped and released the air he had been holding in. Jareid’s hands worked their magic on him and forced his body to relax and feel good, even if his ass was killing him at the moment.

 

_‘He’s my mate… my mate… he’s not going to hurt me… he promised…’_

 

Slowly the terror diminished to fear, and Tygra opened his eyes to the sight of Jareid over him. He groaned and moved his hips just the tiniest bit, feeling full.

 

“… still… too big…” He complained between clenched teeth. Jareid had the audacity to smirk at him, and he moved out of the teen only to ram back inside at midway.

 

Tygra hissed. There was no way to feel comfortable at the position he was in, with his legs in the air, and his own semi-erect member trapped between his and his mate’s bodies. Jareid was really too big for his smaller frame, and would continue to be so for some years still.

 

“But you love it my tiger.”

 

He continued moving, slowly out and then thrusting violently in. Tygra whimpered, feeling like he was being torn in half.

 

“P-please…”

 

“Please what my tiger? Please harder?”

 

Jareid thrust inside him with more force, and Tygra closed his eyes again, striving to remain in the present.

 

“Or faster?”

 

Jareid increased the rhythm, changing at the same time the angle of his penetrations to better stimulate the tiger’s prostate each time he thrust in. The teen made a sound between a growl and a purr and his grasp on Jareid’s arms tightened. The claws drew blood where they sunk deeper, holding on for dear life.

 

The jaguar’s hand started to work the young tiger’s erection again, in time with his thrusts. In just seconds, Tygra was mewling incoherently. Jareid’s pace was brutal, but the teen didn’t want him to stop. He was in a state where pleasure and pain had mixed and everything else had stopped to matter.

 

He didn’t last long in the jaguar’s hands. A few minutes at most, and then he arched his back and cried out as he came. His feet kicked the air and his ears buzzed. He barely felt Jareid’s kiss, robbing him of the scarce air that he still had. His inner muscles clenched reflexively, and Jareid came inside him with a growl. Tygra didn’t really notice. He may have blacked out for a couple of seconds. He gave a deep breath once the jaguar freed his mouth and waited for the bed to stop spinning.

 

When he recovered somewhat from his orgasm, Jareid was already nibbling his ear and tickling his flank. The jaguar’s erection had not faded entirely and he continued moving in and out of Tygra’s passage in a slow almost languid rhythm, already starting to stimulate the young body again. Tygra moaned quietly.

 

“Ready for round two my tiger?”

 

The teen shivered. It was going to be a long night.

 

 


	10. A Bombshell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

“I don’t care what the pact says, and I don’t care how much my father had to give up! I’m not going back to Thundera!”

 

Lion-O said with determination. The cleric was seething in anger. Stupid, little good for nothing, cub. Why the fates had punished them with such an irresponsible heir? Why couldn’t prince Tygra have been a lion? He would have made an excellent king, instead of being stuck at his brother’s side.

 

“Prince Lion-O, this is not open to discussion! You’d be returning home with me, as your father wish you to!”

 

“No! I’m staying here with Tygra!”

 

Lion-O cursed his own stupidity. He shouldn’t have opened the door to the cleric. He should have hid in his bed until the puma had abandoned the palace! They had been discussing for half an hour, and the cleric didn’t want to understand that Lion-O was not going anywhere with him.

 

The puma growled in frustration and disgust.

 

“Prince Tygra would be better without you, don’t you see it? He’d be glad to be rid of a nuisance that only causes him troubles!”

 

“That’s a lie! Tygra needs me!”

 

“What would he need you for? Don’t you realise that you’re only a burden for him? He can’t take his rightful place in Thundera because of you, and it’s also for your cause that he has to endure this exile and the indignity to submit to the jaguar prince! To spare you!”

 

Lion-O froze. He gaped at the cleric and clenched his fists anxiously.

 

“No. That’s not true. This is all because of a stupid war. Because we lost…”

 

“Your father was given a choice that wasn’t real. He had to leave Tygra to the beasts because he’s not allowed to renounce to his heir. Tygra’s duty is to protect you, and I’m sure that he had had to tolerate many things here just to ensure your safety! You’re too young to take care of yourself, and you’re too young to be considered a proper mate. Your father and brother did their best to protect you, and you have the obligation to return to Thundera to do your duty, so your brother’s sacrifice would not be in vain.”

 

Lion-O clenched his teeth. Old insecurities were waking up again. His brother was the better son. He was only a burden for him. Grune’s words resonated in his ears.

 

_‘Tygra is the best choice for the crown; he just lacks the right lineage. Unfortunately, we’re stuck with you.’_

 

“Pick up your pet, and let’s go. I’m sure prince Tygra would be relieved to find out that you took your obligations seriously for once.”

 

Lion-O sniffed. He actually gave a step to follow the cleric, and he scratched mechanically his left arm. And then he stopped, remembering his brother doing the exact same movement. He remembered Bengali asking him if Tygra had used to scratch his arms constantly. He recalled his brother’s arms, bandaged from wrist to shoulder, and his dull eyes from the first month in Ix-Maal. Finally, he remembered the morning, just two days ago, when Bengali had been only too happy to see his disgruntled self after spending the night in a storage compartment. Jareid, all but shoving him inside his room, and Tygra on the bed. Tygra hugging him, thanking him for being there. And Bengali freaking out when he had discovered what Tygra had done to his arm, while Jareid swore that he hadn’t noticed the moment the tiger had done it.

 

“No.” He said quietly. Yabin, who had already turned his back on him, turned around again.

 

“What are you saying?”

 

“I’m not going.”

 

“You selfish brat…”

 

“I don’t care what you think! Tygra needs me! I promised I’d stay with him, and I’m doing that!”

 

The puma growled, and with a quick movement closed the space between him and the teen and grabbed Lion-O’s arm painfully.

 

“I’m tired of you! You’re coming with me now!”

 

“Release me!”

 

“What’s happening here?”

 

Lion-O struggled and freed his arm from the cleric’s grasp while the cat had turned to see who was interrupting them. Lion-O immediately ran to the door, where Xiao was looking unpleasantly at the puma. Yabin straightened and growled menacingly at the teen. Lion-O rubbed his arm and stood firm beside the jaguar’s stoic form.

 

“Nothing to concern you. Prince Lion-O and I are leaving now. I’m taking him with me back to Thundera, and the transport is already waiting for us.”

 

“Really? Because from what I heard yesterday, prince Lion-O is staying if he wants to.”

 

“This has nothing to do with what he wants. It’s an order! Lion-O, pick up your things. We’re leaving now!”

 

A year ago, Lion-O would have obeyed. He had been used to follow Jaga’s and other cleric’s commands, because they had been his tutors. He had been used to people being exasperated with him and ordering him around. Now however, he stubbornly stayed at Xiao’s side. This cat was not Jaga, and his present tutors talked to him in a very different way. He shook his head and took a step closer to Xiao. The cleric growled again.

 

“Listen Lion-O, if you don’t obey me, there’d be hell to pay! You are going back to Thundera!”

 

Lion-O flinched, and Xiao had had just enough.

 

“Curious that you think you can give orders to a prince. As I was told, the clerics are in Thundera the same as the Shamans here. And the Shamans are loyal and the most trusted _servants_ of the crown.”

 

He looked down at Lion-O, who didn’t miss the stress in the word ‘servants’. Yabin caught on it too and hissed in displeasure.

 

“The royal family never takes orders from servants.”

 

Lion-O did his best to correct his posture and stood apart from Xiao’s protective frame. He looked at the cleric in the eye, and remembered the times he had seen king Baal or Jareid issuing orders.

 

“I want you to leave and return to Thundera. Tell my father that I’m staying at my brother’s side.”

 

“You little…”

 

“I don’t take orders from you! Now leave before I have the guards taking you away!”

 

If Lion-O had been alone, Yabin would have ignored the threat. Thundera’s court was used to treat Lion-O as a cub who didn’t know how to take on his responsibilities. But with Xiao there backing Lion-O, the cleric thought better about it.

 

“Your father would be disappointed. If it had been Tygra…”

 

“Leave. I don’t need you comparing me with my brother.”

 

Yabin left in a huff, and Lion-O let go of the breath he had been holding. Xiao put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

 

“You did well prince Lion-O. You have to remember, you are the royalty, not the other way around.”

 

“Father always said that one should never abuse his power.”

 

“There’s a difference between commanding respect and abusing power. You can be whatever type of king you want, but if you don’t have your people’s respect, you’re signing in for a lot of trouble. You’re young, but even if you were a small cub, your servants should know their place, and treat you with the deference and respect that is due to your position.”

 

Lion-O bit his lip thoughtfully.

 

“But… how would I know if I’m being reasonable? I’ve seen Jareid, and I think that he trespasses his limits sometimes.”

 

Xiao laughed and shook his head.

 

“I think there’s no danger of you falling into that. Our prince is a handful. King Baal has spoiled him too much. It’s true that he tends to abuse his power, and many of us have been dreading the day he’d become king. The council had been making up plans for a good advisor. Bengali is already saddled with the job, but it may not be enough. Prince Jareid needs someone that’d prevent him from putting his personal needs before the needs of the people. He’s just too volatile.”

 

Xiao sighed and then smiled confidently at Lion-O.

 

“Fortunately, he has your brother now. Prince Tygra has been a blessing. I don’t know what he’s doing, but prince Jareid is changing in a positive way. Maybe it’s the fact that now he has someone to share his life with.”

 

Lion-O shrugged, but smiled all the same. He hoped that his brother would find happiness and wouldn’t end up resenting the life that had been forced on him.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra stared at his hand resting on the pillows in front of him. He had been awake for quite sometime, but hadn’t yet gathered enough willpower to move. His entire body ached, in and out, and he just knew that movement of any kind would bring pain with it. Jareid had been very rough with him. He had been very close to a panic attack at least twice during the night. He had slept very little, and still felt exhausted.

 

A bitter smile graced his lips, recalling some of the cleric’s advice.

 

_‘Just do your part, stop him if there’s something you don’t like.’_

 

Yeah, sure. Tygra would have scoffed if it hadn’t been a waste of breath.

 

At least there had been a fair amount of pleasure for him. Damn Jareid. The cat was a complete asshole, but he had the most wonderful hands Tygra had ever felt. Not that he had any experience at all beyond his mate, but still. He was convinced that no one else could be that skilled.

 

The amount of light filling the room told him that it was late in the morning, but he didn’t want to leave the bed and rejoin the living. He didn’t think he’d be able to walk properly. Besides, Jareid still had him trapped. The jaguar was behind his back, one arm had snaked down the tiger’s armpit and around his torso, and the other hand was languidly caressing the teen’s flat stomach. One of Jareid’s legs was over both of Tygra’s.

 

The tiger sighed. Jareid was purring in contentment and was nuzzling the top of Tygra’s head. The teen started purring too in reflex. He was not adverse to just lie on the bed, encroached in his mate’s arms, and let the morning pass by. He was very comfortable in fact. He didn’t even mind Jareid’s small show of possessiveness at the moment. The jaguar’s purr was a soothing sound and was keeping Tygra into some sort of slumber that the tiger was in fact enjoying.

 

Eventually, Jareid tightened his embrace just a little bit and mumbled, still groggy in his half-awake state.

 

“Mine… all mine…”

 

Tygra groaned in half-hearted protest. They’d be moving soon and he was not looking forward to face training with sore muscles. Jareid’s hand squeezed his stomach lightly and possessively.

 

“… can’t wait to see you all round with our cubs…”

 

That…

 

Tygra’s ears twitched and his eyes opened in slight alarm. He couldn’t have just heard what he thought.

 

“What?”

 

“I’m sure you’d look just as beautiful… even pregnant…”

 

Ok. Now he was fully awake and alert. He rolled around, ignoring his protesting muscles, and stared at his mate, who by the way was still in the process of regaining consciousness.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Jareid opened one sleepy eye to regard his mate with confusion.

 

“Cubs. We are going to have cubs.” He smiled lecherously at the slowly panicking tiger. “And they’re going to look gorgeous with both our looks. Stripes and spots. I wonder if they’d mix.”

 

Surely Jareid was still dreaming. Or someone had slipped something in his drink while no one had noticed.

 

“Jareid… you are aware that both of us are males, right?”

 

Jareid scoffed and closed his eye again.

 

“Of course I am. What about it?”

 

“Wha…? You do know that two males can’t have cubs together, do you? You need a consort to have your heir!”

 

That forced Jareid to wake up enough to scowl at Tygra. A low growl of annoyance rumbled between them.

 

“I’ve told you repeatedly Tygra. There is not going to be any consort. I don’t need any bloody consort! You _are_ carrying _our_ cubs. Understand?”

 

Tygra was getting scared. He pushed himself away from his mate’s body, trying to get some space to breath. Jareid grabbed him by the elbows and growled louder.

 

“Tygra…”

 

“I’m a male! Males can’t procreate with other males, and they certainly can’t get pregnant! I don’t have the necessary anatomy parts to carry cubs!”

 

Jareid looked stunned for a moment. He gave Tygra the strangest face ever. Then he chuckled and shook his head. The tiger was feeling anger quickly replacing his fear.

 

“What’s so funny?!”

 

“… Sorry… I just forgot that you grew up in a place where technology is a fairy tale for kittens.”

 

Tygra looked at Jareid in utter confusion.

 

“Tech? What does that have to do with cubs?”

 

“Well, there’s something called biotech, that the shamans are very fond of. There are certain procedures that enable two males, or two females, to procreate with each other.”

 

Tygra was speechless. He had not expected to hear that in a million years. Sure, he had always known that Jareid would eventually need an heir, and had at the time lamented that he would be denied any cubs of his own, seeing how jealous his mate was. Now…

 

He was still trying to get his mind to work again after the havoc that Jareid’s little speech had just caused.

 

“Tygra? I didn’t mean to break you.” Jareid said sheepishly, and a bit worried. Tygra blinked at him.

 

“You’re telling me… that _we_ are having cubs…”

 

“Of course.”

 

“B-bu… I… two females I understand, but I… how can a male…?”

 

He was not very coherent at the moment. Fortunately Jareid seemed to understand what he wanted to ask.

 

“Conception is really no big deal, from what I’ve been told. Of course, when two males are the parents one of them has to undergo surgery to be able to be the carrier. It’s not so bad, just a minor surgery.”

 

“Just a minor surgery?! Jareid, I’m not turning into a female!”

 

“Of course you’re not! I’m not saying that! You’re not losing anything, you’re only going to have something extra so you can carry our cubs, that’s all.”

 

That’s all. Sure. Easy for him to say! Tygra was not undergoing any surgery!

 

“Surely there is another way…”

 

“Tygra…”

 

“I’m not biologically made to carry cubs Jareid! What if something goes wrong? I’m not anyone’s experiment!”

 

He was freaking out and Jareid grabbed the nape of his neck and pressed a point at the base that made him go limp. The jaguar started massaging the back of his head to calm him down.

 

“Ow…”

 

“Relax. No one is going to be experimenting with you. Look, some male couples ask for a female to be the carrier. But I very much prefer that we don’t have anyone else mixed in this. Females instinctually bond with cubs they carry, even if they’re not their own. I’m not having anyone demanding any kind of rights over our cubs!”

 

Tygra was still shaken. He needed time to process this new development. Cubs had not been something he had given much thought to, much less after being given to a male partner. It had been implied that it was Jareid the one who needed to have at least one cub, not him. Apparently he had been wrong.

 

He breathed deeply and licked his lips. Jareid continued massaging his scalp, soothing him.

 

“Just imagine it Tygra. Our cubs. Our own family. You see that I have no need for a consort? Only you my tiger. You are all that I need.”

 

It didn’t sound bad. Tygra liked the idea to have his own family. He just protested the method to obtain it.

 

He sighed and decided to dwell on it another day. He hoped that Jareid would give him time to actually process the idea before demanding cubs. Hopefully, enough time for Tygra to get Bengali to convince the jaguar that a female carrier sounded like a very good idea.

 

“I do want cubs… I suppose. I just… well, actually I’ve never really thought about that. I just assumed there’d be no cubs. Not _ours_ at least.”

 

Jareid caressed his cheek and kissed his temple tenderly.

 

“Wouldn’t that have been a shame?”

 

Tygra sighed. His mind was still having problems with the whole ‘male pregnancy’ concept.

 

Suddenly, his brows furrowed. Jaga had mentioned the lack of offspring, back when Baal had first announced his intentions of having Tygra mated to his son. The jaguar king had not been worried in the least. Well, now Tygra knew why.

 

The tiger bit his lower lip, feeling anxious all of a sudden. Jareid prodded his chin to make him look at the blue eyes.

 

“Are you getting this Tygra? _We_ are having cubs. I’m not procreating offspring with anyone but you.”

 

Tygra gulped and nodded slowly. Jareid’s eyebrows were forming a scowl that sent shivers down the tiger’s spine. It was not an angry scowl, but it was still fearsome.

 

“Y-yes. I’d give you cubs, just… You are giving me time, don’t you? To get my mind around this? I mean… we don’t need to start having cubs just yet. Maybe a couple of years? Please?”

 

He really, really didn’t need Jareid deciding that he wanted an heir as soon as possible. The jaguar prince was old enough to start thinking about cubs, but Tygra was sixteen! He wasn’t remotely prepared to raise kits.

 

Jareid sighed and looked at Tygra with an apologetic expression that made the tiger worry.

 

“Maybe we’d wait for the second cub. For this… Tygra, we have a year to have an heir.”

 

The tiger froze. He felt his mouth go dry and he tried to push Jareid away again. The jaguar held firm.

 

“We… why? J-Jareid I can’t…!”

 

“Our bonding requires it. The alliance between the clans require an heir from both bloods for it to be true.”

 

Tygra stared at Jareid incredulously. The ritual… The cleric had said that every ritual had requirements. He remembered then.

 

The rite they had chosen was for a blood alliance. Every blood alliance required an heir within the year, to truly seal a pact between two clans. The majority of the rituals made certain concessions to same gender couples, but the one they had performed happened to be very strict. If there was no heir, it was a signal that the spirits had not blessed the pact, rendering the mating null. If one of them had a first descendant from a cat other than his mate, it was declared treason, and the alliance obliterated. Tygra had forgotten it. He had studied the rites long ago, and over the past few months he had only focussed on learning the basics and memorizing the words he would have had to say. He hadn’t given a second thought to the requirements that surrounded the rite but were not part of the ceremony.

 

Tygra’s hands trembled. He understood his father’s reasoning then. Both Jareid and Tygra were males. Claudus never expected them to produce cubs. Once the year had gone by, and the alliance was broken, there’d be no more reason for Tygra to stay in Ix-Maal. The pact would be null, and there’d be no need for retaliation because it wouldn’t have been anyone’s fault. Claudus was counting on Baal to know this and return Tygra unharmed.

 

The tiger clenched his fists and groaned painfully. He now knew what his father had been thinking. Claudus had seen how useless and stupid had been to provoke the jaguars. The war, if it could have been called that, had been nothing but retaliation for a stupid mistake. Claudus believed that Baal had been satisfied showing off and making his position clear, and that the treaty had just been something to hold over Claudus’ head for a while, so the lions would not forget again who they were dealing with. The lion king had focused on retrieving his heir, because he had been convinced that Tygra would be returned eventually. How was he to know that cubs between two males were a possibility?

 

But Baal knew. Baal had known all along what he had been doing. He had been the one to write the treaty. He had been the one to push Claudus to send his sons away and fight to have just his heir back, believing that he didn’t need to worry about his oldest son.

 

Tygra was so going to kill Baal.

 

Suddenly, realization broke through his brain, and he widened his eyes. He could go home.

 

No sooner had the thought appeared in his mind, than he heard Jareid growl. He tried to escape the bed, only to have the bigger and heavier body of the jaguar over him in an instant, pinning him to the mattress. Tygra wriggled. He wanted to throw Jareid off him, as futile as he knew his efforts were. The jaguar bit his neck and he cried in outrage, but had no choice but to calm down.

 

“Don’t even think about it.” The prince hissed in his ear. “You know I’m not letting you go Tygra. You know you’re mine! Even if we don’t have that cub, you’re staying here. I don’t care if that means another fucking war, I’m not giving you up!”

 

Tygra closed his eyes, and tried to summon the loathing he had once held for Jareid. Instead he felt lost and sad. He didn’t know what he should do, so many things had happened. He wasn’t the same. But he missed his home so much.

 

He could refuse to have a cub. Jareid could try to force him, but he still remembered how difficult it had been for his mother to maintain a pregnancy. It was not something you could simply demand of someone and get it. If they had no cubs within the year Tygra’d be free from the bonding, and Baal wouldn’t start a new conflict just for him. He wouldn’t. Right?

 

He shook his head. Jareid growled at him again and he ignored it. He just went limp under his mate’s weight and refused to acknowledge the other. He didn’t open his eyes, not even when he was bitten again, and it was evident that the jaguar was angry.

 

Eventually, Jareid left him on the bed, threatening to drag him into the shamans’ wing if he needed to. Tygra didn’t get up until he was sure that he was alone in the room. He took a quick shower and dressed up, covering the ghastly bruise on his neck as best as he could. Then he got out of the rooms, looking for reassurance of some sort.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Lion-O was diligently solving the equations that his tutor had assigned him. He had not seen Tygra at breakfast, but he wasn’t too worried about that. He had been told that his brother and Jareid would probably want to spend the morning in bed. Apparently that was expected of every couple that was just mated.

 

He was just finished with his exercise when the door of the room that he was using as “classroom” opened, and Tygra’s voice interrupted his calculations.

 

“Lion-O, are you alone?”

 

The lion turned and smiled at his big brother. Then frowned at the look on the tiger’s face.

 

“Tygra, are you all right? You look… tired.”

 

“I’m fine, I just didn’t sleep much. Listen, has the cleric talked to you? I wanted to tell him a couple of things.”

 

“Oh, too late brother. Baal sent him home early in the morning.”

 

“Really?” Tygra huffed. “Figures.” Then he looked at his brother seriously. “He wanted to take you back with him. Didn’t he tell you anything?”

 

Lion-O shrugged, and his hand went to pet Snarf, who had climbed on the teen’s desk.

 

“He mentioned something, but I told him that I was staying here with you.”

 

Tygra walked some steps to be at his brother’s side and started raking his fingers through the thick red mane. Lion-O sighed.

 

“Tygra, am I a burden for you?”

 

The tiger’s fingers stopped in mid-motion, and the orange teen scowled.

 

“Who told you that?”

 

Lion-O pressed his lips together and then answered.

 

“It’s just… back at Thundera, it was sort of implied that you’d fare better without me.” The lion looked up at his brother uneasily. “I am not causing you problems, am I?”

 

“Of course not. You’ve been great this entire year Lion-O.”

 

The lion smiled again, one significant burden lifted from his shoulders. Tygra resumed playing with the red mane.

 

“Tell me Lion-O, wouldn’t you have preferred to stay home, instead of being stuck here because of me?”

 

Lion-O scowled and crossed his arms.

 

“I thought you just said that I’m not causing you problems.”

 

“I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just saying that maybe you miss home, and maybe you’d regret not having taken your chance to return because of me.”

 

Lion-O was appeased, and gave his brother a small smile.

 

“I do miss home. But I also like it here Tygra, a lot. It’s really not a problem for me to stay; besides, no one at home wanted me back anyway. I could tell.”

 

“You know that’s not true Lion-O. The people of Thundera want their heir back. You know that father loves you, and I’m sure that Jaga wants _his_ favourite back.”

 

Lion-O shrugged.

 

“Well, yes and maybe, but I’m sure I can convince Baal to let me communicate with them. And the rest of Thundera may want a heir to the throne, but they don’t want me.”

 

He pouted. Tygra gave an exasperated sigh.

 

“You’re the heir Lion-O. Everyone knows that you’re the future king, of course they want you in Thundera.”

 

“No Tygra, they want you.”

 

“Lion-O…”

 

“That’s the truth, and you know it! The entire palace sees me as a burden. They wish you were a lion, so they could put you in the throne instead of me. Every single one of them! Even father!”

 

Lion-O was on his feet and yelling when he finished the last sentence. Snarf jumped down the desk, a bit scared, and Tygra gave a step back, baffled at his brother’s outburst. The lion sighed and looked down resentfully.

 

“I don’t doubt that dad loves me. He just loves you more.”

 

Tygra embraced his little brother, not quite knowing what to say.

 

“It’s not true Lion-O. He loves you more. He has loved you from the moment Jaga told him that mom was pregnant.”

 

Lion-O sighed, but decided not to answer. Tygra patted his head and looked towards the notebook, trying to change the conversation.

 

“That looks pretty difficult. Do you even know what is it for?”

 

Lion-O’s eyes brightened and he launched into an explanation about algebra and how you could apply different formulas to find missing data. They got interrupted by the return of Lion-O’s tutor, who was surprised to find the tiger there.

 

“Are you finished prince Lion-O? Ah, prince Tygra! I didn’t know you were here.”

 

“Sorry. I just wanted to tell my brother something. I didn’t want to interrupt his classes.”

 

“Not a problem my prince. I’m sure your brother did an excellent job as always.”

 

Lion-O beamed at his tutor’s praise and presented his recently finished equations to him. Tygra smiled at his brother’s excitement. An entire year, and Lion-O was still getting used to his tutors praising him, instead of belittling him and comparing him to Tygra every opportunity they had. The tiger sighed. Lion-O was really happy with the jaguars. More than he had ever been in Thundera. He squeezed the young lion’s shoulder and messed his mane. Lion-O made a face at him.

 

“Well, I’d leave you to it then.” He half turned, but then he paused to stare at Snarf. The small creature had climbed to Lion-O’s shoulder and was looking at the tutor, apparently interested in how the cat was marking Lion-O’s work. Tygra cooked his head to one side.

 

“I should probably take Snarf with me, so Lion-O can concentrate.”

 

Snarf lifted his head and mewled at him. Lion-O pressed his lips, wanting to protest, but his tutor spoke first.

 

“Oh, it’s no problem. The pet can stay. Your brother is not easily distracted when he’s working.”

 

“Really?”

 

Tygra lifted his eyebrows in wonder. It was the first time he had heard one of Lion-O’s tutors saying that the teen was **not** easily distracted. The majority of their Thunderian tutors hated Snarf’s presence and had forbidden Lion-O from having his pet close by when he was supposed to be studying. Tygra considered Lion-O’s form, now positively preening with pride, and smiled.

 

“Ok then. I’d see you later tyke.”

 

“Later bro!”

 

Tygra still heard Lion-O’s tutor declaring that the lion had done an excellent job and that it was time to move to more difficult problems. He shook his head and smiled in wonder. Maybe he could convince Baal to send a report of Lion-O’s advance in his studies to Thundera. He was sure it’d cause a few heart attacks.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Training was in a way liberating for Tygra. It allowed him to focus entirely on a physical activity and forget everything else. That day though, Tygra found it very hard to forget his problems. Everyone of his teammates kept asking him questions about Jareid, and whether or not certain pieces of gossip that they had heard were true or not. It was as if he suddenly had been named the one authority in all things concerning Jareid. And who the hell had told the rest of his team that now they were allowed to ask him whatever they could think of? It was annoying!

 

Also, the exercise seemed to make his muscles remember how sore they had been in the morning, and the subsequent debacle that had ensued. He left the training court barely walking. It didn’t help either that quite a few of the high-ranking trainees thought that personal congratulations were in order. They organized a small get-together in the barracks, and tried to engage Tygra on intimate conversation. Someone actually mentioned the possibility of cubs due to the tiger’s extraordinary position.

 

That seemed to refresh Tygra’s trainer’s, Kab, memory. The cat assured the young prince that his current rank among the hunter’s trainees will not suffer should Jareid demand cubs immediately. Tygra was one of the best in his team, and could afford a few months out of training.

 

The tiger was deeply embarrassed. It seemed that everyone had assumed that he would be carrying cubs very soon. Tygra was still freaked out and getting disturbed by the fact that everyone thought it natural for him to carry cubs. He was in a daze when he finally escaped to the relative safety of the palace.

 

What was worse was that he sensed that everyone was expecting him to be happy about the idea. What was to be happy about? He was renouncing to his home dammit! Couldn’t they see that? He wanted to return home!

 

But the thing was that Jareid was not going to allow him to leave his side. Tygra knew him enough to know that he had been serious when he had said that he didn’t care if he provoked another war. He wasn’t going to give the tiger back.

 

Tygra sighed. It was dinner time, but he didn’t want to confront Jareid. He was a mess, and he didn’t know what to feel. He needed time.

 

Unfortunately, time was a luxury he didn’t have. Jareid was not going to tolerate his mate avoiding him forever. The jaguar could easily force Tygra to stay in the bedroom at his disposal. Just the same he could force him into the Shamans’ wing, to have whatever procedure was needed started. Tygra knew that Bengali would try to soften the blow for him, but in the end the white tiger would have to do as Jareid commanded.

 

As if that wasn’t enough, there was another thing that was making havoc in Tygra’s mind: He really didn’t want to anger Jareid.

 

Most of the year, Tygra had been doing a conscious effort to get used to the other prince. He had forced himself to submit to the jaguar’s wishes. He had fought the terror and loathing he had felt for the older male, and tried to coexist with him. It had been hard, but he had accepted the fact that Jareid was his dominant mate, and that he would have to spend his entire life at his side. He had striven to resign himself to his role and keep Jareid happy. A happy jaguar prince was a lot easier to get along with, and Tygra had finally been feeling content at his mate’s side. Not exactly at home, but very close to.

 

He was totally, and completely mental. Claudus would be so disappointed on him.

 

The image of his father shoved Tygra’s thoughts in a slightly different direction. What would he be returning home to? He couldn’t just resume his life at the point he had left it. It didn’t feel like his life anymore, even if it had been only a year. He had fought so hard to adapt in Ix-Maal that now getting back to what used to be would be like starting over again.

 

There was also the part of his mate. Tygra had not completely overcome the trauma of his first encounters with Jareid, especially the first time the jaguar had claimed him. It was forever burned in his mind, and would be a permanent shadow between them. But the thing was that he didn’t feel capable to have any mate other than Jareid, male or female. He just knew that he wouldn’t be able to cope with any one else. Jareid had ruined him for the rest of the world.

 

And what about Lion-O? His brother was so happy in Ix-Maal, and Thundera had always been cruel to him. Tygra didn’t want to see Lion-O miserable again, and he was sure that Claudus would not allow his heir any further contact with the jaguars if they returned home. Tygra felt really lost.

 

Bengali found him on one of the balconies, and approached him quietly.

 

“Here you are. Jareid is freaking out, and insisting that I talk to you and make you see reason. What did he do this time?”

 

Tygra, who was supporting himself on the railing, turned his head to glance at the white tiger and gave him a half-smile.

 

“Is it always Jareid the one to blame for my bad moods?”

 

“Of course he is! You can deal pretty well with everyone else. It’s only our esteemed prince the one who can upset you so much.”

 

Tygra chuckled bitterly. He felt such a failure for not knowing how to deal with his own mate.

 

“So, what did he do?”

 

The orange tiger sighed and looked up in front of him, biting his lip. He could feel Bengali’s displeasure at the small act, but thankfully the shaman didn’t comment on it.

 

“Cubs.” He said simply, hoping that Ben knew what he was talking about. The white tiger frowned for a moment and then comprehension downed on him.

 

“Ah. As in the last requirement to seal the pact.”

 

The young tiger nodded. Bengali understood.

 

“I see. Damn Jareid and his big mouth.”

 

“I was going to know sooner of later anyway.”

 

“Yes, but it could have been from someone who actually knows what tactfulness means.”

 

Tygra chuckled sincerely at that.

 

“I doubt it had made a difference in the long run.”

 

“Maybe, but it could have saved you some stress.”

 

Tygra sighed. He wanted to talk to Bengali, but he still was very confused himself. The shaman put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

 

“He’s not giving you a choice, is he?”

 

The young tiger shook his head sadly. This was no way to decide whether or not to start a family.

 

“I can stay here quietly, or I can make a fuss about it. Either way I’m not going anywhere.” He turned to look at Bengali again, wanting some kind of guidance. “Unless Baal decides I’m too much trouble. I’m really not worth another conflict with Thundera, Jareid would just have to accept it.”

 

Bengali sighed.

 

“He would if Baal actually decides to go against his wishes. The problem is that our king rarely puts a stop to his heir.”

 

Tygra crossed his arms and leaned on the railing. Ben stood at his side.

 

“I know that this is going to sound like a stupid question but, do you really want to leave?”

 

The young prince stared ahead, and considered the question.

 

“There shouldn’t be any reason for me to want to stay.”

 

“What should be and what is are sometimes very different things.”

 

Tygra licked his lips nervously.

 

“I miss home. But I like it here too. I love the training. The jungle is so different from what I was used to… And Lion-O is so happy here.”

 

Bengali looked with sadness at the young tiger, but remained silent and let him work his way through what he was feeling. Tygra gave a deep breath after a while.

 

“This is just stupid. I mean, I’m here because we managed to anger Baal. The war, the treaty, all of it was retaliation for ill spoken words! He made his point! He proved that he could destroy Thundera if he wanted! There’s no real reason for him to want me here! Nothing but Jareid’s stubbornness and his whim to have me at his side! I don’t even understand why he wants me!”

 

Bengali grasped his shoulder to calm him down and Tygra sighed.

 

“If the pact is not sealed, would Baal send me home Ben? Even if Jareid doesn’t want me to go? I’m not worth the conflict that would arise, it’d be too much trouble just for a passing fancy.”

 

“You’re not seeing the big picture Tygra. You weren’t here before the war, and have no point of comparison. It’s true that Baal initially concocted the treaty just to spite Claudus and humiliate the Thunderians. If Jareid hadn’t shown any interest in you, Baal would probably have let you go back home and happily forgotten Thundera’s existence. But now, things are different.”

 

Tygra scoffed and turned around, so he was facing the palace instead of the jungle.

 

“Why? Because Jareid developed a liking for me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Tygra shook his head in incomprehension.”

 

“He should be assessing the damage he could do to his and others’ cities, not the way to grant his son’s wishes!”

 

“You don’t understand. As I said before, you’ve only been around for a year. You have no idea of how Jareid was. He acted like a kit. He had no sense of responsibility, and even when he had to be present at council meetings, he didn’t really care about the decisions taken there. He only caused troubles, and it was not always for bedding whoever wanted to take a turn with him. His sexual scandals are only the part that everybody knows about.”

 

Tygra frowned, trying to picture what Bengali was telling him. The white tiger continued.

 

“To tell you the truth, everyone was starting to be afraid of him. He can be very violent, as you have seen, and the council had been pressured to deal with him now, they were getting aghast thinking about what they’d do when he’d be the king.”

 

“A treason in the making?”

 

“Oh, no. The jaguar clan is very loyal. They’d follow the king to the abyss without protest. We were just getting worried that it might actually happen.”

 

“So, what changed?”

 

“Well, you.”

 

Tygra looked at his friend with incredulity. Ben smiled.

 

“You don’t realize how much Jareid has changed since you arrived. I don’t know what happened. No one knows what you did. Suffice to say that the majority of the court considers you some kind of miracle.”

 

Tygra huffed again and shook his head, this time in wonder.

 

“Really? Many of them had made it clear that their prince deserves better.”

 

“Oh, well. There’s always someone stupid enough to let prejudices and pride obstruct the view of reality. And those spreading that kind of gossip are merely the ones that want to be in your place. No matter how bad Jareid conducts himself, he’s still the future king. And now that he’s actually acting like he’s supposed to, many had convinced themselves that they could have been the one to make the change happen, if only they had tried long enough.”

 

“It’s still crazy. No one changes overnight.”

 

“True. Which means that Jareid had always known what was expected of him and known how to take on his responsibilities. He just didn’t want to do it.”

 

Tygra closed his eyes and groaned.

 

“He’s a bastard.”

 

“Baal would not agree with you.”

 

Tygra glared at the white tiger, who chuckled unrepentantly.

 

“I know what you mean, and yes, he is. But at least he is on his way to be a decent enough king. Everyone is convinced that you made that happen, and Baal is certainly not letting you go anytime soon.”

 

“Oh, that’s rich! He can’t control his own heir so he needs some sort of leash for him? I’m not doing anything! I’m just… well, I’m just here! He’s really going to risk a war just to keep me here? I still say that I’m not worth the trouble.”

 

“Tygra, don’t you see? You are a gods’ sent for us, not only for the council, or the court. Not even for Baal, but for the people. An entire clan that is escaping been ruled by a very cruel and tyrannical king, because that’s what Jareid was leading to. Only because of you. It’s you the reason why he has changed. Somehow, you’re the one who’s keeping him stable. This kingdom has now a responsible heir to the crown thanks to you. So yes, for Baal, you’re very much worth the trouble.”

 

Tygra was baffled. He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn’t believe what Ben was saying.

 

“This is not fair. I’m not a miracle, I’m… there’s never a choice for me, is it?”

 

“I’m sorry. Listen, Baal is not unreasonable. He can find a way to negotiate this with you and Claudus. I think that both parts would want to find a resolution that wouldn’t imply war.”

 

The young tiger stared at the floor in dejection and Bengali felt guilty. Tygra was just a boy; he shouldn’t have to face this kind of burden.

 

“You always have a choice Tygra, even if it doesn’t look like it. I wish I could make things easier for you.”

 

The teen shook his head and rubbed his face.

 

“It’s not really a choice… Even if I go back home, it won’t be the same. I’d always feel like something is missing and I won’t be able to have my own family if I go back.”

 

Bengali frowned and his hand rested on Tygra’s shoulder blades.

 

“That’s not true Tygra. You’re young and handsome. Even if the mating is broken, you’d be able to start your own family.”

 

A self-deprecating parody of a smile appeared on Tygra’s lips and he shook his head in denial.

 

“No. If there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s that I’m not going to be capable to be with anyone other than Jareid. I share his bed because I have to, but I still have panic attacks once in a while. He knows what triggers them, and is careful to slow down at the right moment to calm me, but others…”

 

“Tygra…”

 

“He forced me Ben! That will forever be in my mind. If he ever lets me go, no one is touching me again!”

 

He gave a deep breath and calmed down.

 

“Which only means that he’s my one chance to have a family of my own. If I go back home, I’d be renouncing to that.”

 

Bengali’s hand moved to his arm and squeezed comfortingly.

 

“You’re seeing things too black right now. Give yourself time Tygra. You’d see that whatever choice you make, you’d not be alone to confront whatever comes with it. You have friends and family. Claudus is not here physically, but your brother is. Whatever you choose, I’m sure your family will back you up.”

 

Tygra bit his lip. He wanted to believe that. Believe that Claudus wouldn’t see him as a failure because he had submitted to Jareid’s wishes. That Lion-O would not resent him if he got both of them out of Ix-Maal. There was just so much in his head that he couldn’t make sense of what he actually wanted. Bengali made him look at his eyes.

 

“It’s your decision to make Tygra. Once you do it, you’d find the way to follow it, and you’d realize that there’d be friends to help you. But it’s you who have to make the choice, because the consequences would be yours to deal and live with.”

 

Tygra licked his lips and nodded. He understood that, but he was still confused. He just needed to think, to process the situation, to get to terms with it. And at the moment he needed to rest.

 

He felt wary to go to the bedroom, knowing that Jareid would be there and would demand something. He wanted to ask Bengali if there was somewhere else for him to spend the night. He was just about to open his mouth to do so when he heard the door to the balcony opening.

 

Both tigers turned to see Jareid calmly approaching them. Tygra immediately tried to look the other way. His hands grabbed the edge of the railing, and a shiver of fear went through his spine. Jareid stopped a few steps in front of them and scowled at his mate.

 

“Let’s go Tygra. It’s getting late.”

 

The orange tiger closed his eyes, but he nodded resignedly and straightened. He gave a cursory glance to Bengali and tried to sidestep Jareid, who caught his arm with a firm hand. The jaguar was about to say something, but Bengali beat him to it.

 

“Your Excellency, may I have a word with you?”

 

Jareid glared daggers at the shaman. He despised the title of “Excellency” when Bengali said it. It felt too formal, and it meant that the white tiger wanted to put distance between them. The shaman was unfazed.

 

“Let Tygra go, I’m sure he’s capable to find the way to your rooms alone. I need to speak with you.”

 

The jaguar prince growled, but he let go of Tygra and ordered him to go ahead. The youth nodded in gratitude at his friend and walked away.

 

As soon as Tygra was out of sight, Jareid turned his full attention on Bengali.

 

“What do you want?”

 

“Calm down would you? I just want you to see reason, that’s all.”

 

“Me? See reason? I’m being very reasonable! I’m letting him think things over!”

 

“And what would happen if he decides he doesn’t want to seal the pact?”

 

Jareid immediately growled and showed his teeth.

 

“He is sealing it! One way or the other! I’m not giving him back Ben, not ever! He’s staying with me!”

 

“Even against his will? Would you really hurt him that much Jareid?”

 

The jaguar gave a low roar and turned around, apparently to leave.

 

“Jareid!”

 

The prince hit the wall that framed the glass door of the balcony with his clenched fist. He roared again, but he stopped. Bengali approached him.

 

“Calm the fuck down! You have to realize that Tygra is his own person, and you have to accept his choice…”

 

“He’s not leaving Bengali! I’m not letting him! I’d fucking destroy Thundera if I have to!”

 

“So, you’d force him to stay and be miserable, without a thought for what he wants?”

 

“He’s mine! He’s my mate, and he’s staying!”

 

“Your mate? Really? Well, let me inform you that you’re not treating him as a mate. You’re acting like a spoiled kid who’s been threatened to give up his favourite toy! Tygra’s not a thing!”

 

“I know he’s not! You repeat it enough!”

 

“Oh, you know it, but you certainly don’t believe it, do you? You treat him as property of your own.”

 

“Well, he is my property!” Jareid advanced on Bengali, who growled and held his ground. They both stood eye to eye. “He was mine from the moment our parents signed that treaty. Mine to keep!”

 

“Or throw away if you want to? To kill him even if it pleases you?”

 

Jareid threw a punch at him. Bengali stopped it and put a hand to the jaguar’s chest. He applied a bit of energy and pushed to get the other cat away from him. Jareid roared. He hated when Bengali used his magic against him. He knew that the white tiger wouldn’t hurt him, but would use enough force to stop him, and Jareid hated to not be able to move. So, he kept his distance from Ben’s person, who was now blocking the door to the inside of the palace.

 

“You’re going to lose him, even if he stays, if you insist on treating him this way. You can’t make him feel what you want at command. If he decides to detach himself from the world he could very well do it, and there’d be nothing you can do to make him responsive again.”

 

“We’d see about that!”

 

Bengali growled and tried to modulate his voice.

 

“You forced him once. You saw what happened then. Is that really what you want?”

 

Jareid clenched and unclenched his fists several times. His incessant growl lowered and finally he turned his head to the side.

 

“No.” He buffed and turned to look at Bengali again. The white tiger almost sighed in relief. At least there was reason sparkling in the clear blue eyes of his prince.

 

“What I want is for him to be with me. For him to understand that he’s home! Why would he want to leave?”

 

Now Bengali sighed. Not for the first time he wished that someone had taken the time to teach Jareid to feel empathy for others.

 

“He doesn’t _want_ to leave. He just believes that he shouldn’t have any reason to want to stay.”

 

Jareid’s eyes narrowed and he hissed.

 

“That doesn’t make sense.”

 

“You have to understand that he was expected to meet certain standards, and to follow a determined set of values and rules. Claudus expected the best from him, and the lion king has his own idea of what applies as the best! Those expectations are weighing heavily on him, and he just found out that he can fulfil one of his father’s wishes, so he’s rather desperate at the moment.”

 

“One of Claudus’ wishes? How?”

 

Ben raised an eyebrow. He refrained from teasing Jareid on his lack of comprehension because he didn’t want the jaguar angry at him again.

 

“Claudus is expecting Tygra to do whatever he could to survive Ix-Maal and to take the opportunity to return to Thundera with open arms. Claudus is expecting his two sons back. Tygra believes that he’d be betraying his father if he actually decides to stay.”

 

The growl was back, but this time Jareid didn’t throw any punches.

 

“He doesn’t have to be worrying about Claudus. What the lion wants doesn’t matter anymore!”

 

“It matters Jareid. Because Claudus is Tygra’s father, and he won’t suddenly stop being so, just because Tygra is miles away and mated! Even if the lion were dead, his expectations would still be very much alive in Tygra’s head. You can’t erase Claudus from Tygra’s life Jareid. It doesn’t work that way.”

 

The jaguar prince wasn’t liking this speech. He didn’t like the fact that he had to acknowledge Tygra’s family. He wanted the tiger only for him.

 

“Why can’t I make him forget? Why can’t he just whip all of Thundera away from his mind?!”

 

“Because it’s his home. It’s part of what he is, and he’d be incomplete if he gives that up.”

 

Jareid grumped, not happy at all.

 

“I don’t want to give him back Ben.”

 

Bengali gave a slight nod and finally relaxed his posture.

 

“Then you better give him a good enough reason to want to stay Jareid. And I think that he’d appreciate some solitude for tonight.”

 

Jareid put his fists on his hips on petulance, and nodded. He too needed some time to think anyway. Bengali seemed satisfied, but he still approached the prince and touched his arm.

 

“It’s not so hard Jareid. But you have to keep in mind that there’s a difference between a mate and a slave, and Tygra is not feeling very much like the former at the moment.”

 

He left, leaving Jareid rather stunned.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra lied on the bed, staring at the ceiling and the part of the sky that the tall window let him see. He loved the view. On full moon nights, if it wasn’t raining, it was beautiful the way it inundated the room in silver light.

 

He was only wearing black shorts, since it was not cold. The thin sheet was enough for him to be comfortable. Bengali had called him with the communicator and had told him that Jareid was likely to leave him the room for himself that night. The tiger was grateful for not having to deal with his obnoxious mate for the moment, but he was finding it difficult to sleep.

 

After what had felt like hours, he sighed and got up. The bed was just too big for him, and it had Jareid’s smell impregnated on it. He stood up and glared at the room in general. Every single part of it reminded him of Jareid and Tygra wanted to deny the fact that he actually missed the bastard’s body close to him.

 

He growled in annoyance. How could he go about pretending that the jaguar didn’t exist if all the bloody room smelt of him? He wanted his own room, so he could throw a tantrum in peace!

 

He debated whether or not to go to the sitting room and lay down on one of the couches, but he wanted to stay close to the window and see the starlight sky. Finally his eyes landed on his puff. He loved the thing. It was soft and cosy, and didn’t keep heat. Besides, only Tygra used it, so it didn’t have Jareid’s smell yet. It was perfect.

 

He grabbed a sheet from the bed and walked over to the puff, climbing eagerly on it. He curled up and covered himself, sighing happily at the feeling of cool softness from the puff’s fabric. He was finally asleep within minutes.

 


	11. What Makes a Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized that I never described Jareid or his family. Bad me. I’m sorry for the omission, I’m not really good describing characters. Both Baal and Jareid have the usual colouring for the coat, that is yellow-brownish. Yeana’s coat is a clearer shade of yellow, almost white, blue eyes and strawberry mane, and Xilara is a black jaguar with indigo eyes.
> 
> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 Jareid glared at the stack of paper on his desk. Technically he was in charge of the royal guard and everything pertaining it since he had been twenty-two, though it hadn’t been until recently that he had started to take that responsibility seriously. Part of his duty was to read the reports and take decisions, but lately it was not only the royal guard he had to take care of. His father had decided that he was old enough to take on the city guard too, maybe the rest of their forces if he showed that he could manage it.

 

The prince growled and looked out the window. He wasn’t in the mood to work. He was busy thinking about what to do with Tygra. He hadn’t spoken to his mate for the entire day. He had been trying to give the tiger space and time to make his decision, just as Bengali had said.

 

He still thought it was preposterous! But alas, if Tygra needed it…

 

Jareid sighed. If his mate needed it, he would do it, but it was driving him crazy. He felt the familiar pull of anger bubbling inside him, and he closed his eyes and breathed in an effort to control it. If he let it grow he’d go hunting his mate and demand an answer from him, and he’d hurt the tiger if he didn’t like the answer. Jareid didn’t want to hurt his mate. He wanted Tygra to feel safe at his side, not terrorized.

 

He had been doing a good job, if he himself said it. He was sure that Tygra enjoyed his touches and was at ease in his presence. The tiger was advancing in his studies and it was obvious that he loved the jungle and his training. Why then was he still longing for Thundera?

 

Bengali had said that Claudus’ expectations still weighed heavily on the young tiger. Then, how could Jareid go about making those expectations insignificant?

 

He grunted in frustration. A family would do that. If Tygra had his own family, he wouldn’t feel so pressured to fulfil his father’s demands. His family would take priority.

 

Which took Jareid back to his initial dilemma. How was he going to convince Tygra that having cubs right now was a good idea? He couldn’t force him. He knew that, even without Bengali’s input, it wouldn’t be the same. A cub was something to be cherished, not resented, and Jareid was not having his mate resenting their cub.

 

He turned towards his desk, full of reports and orders to approve, and growled again. It was a minor task, but he would be taking a more active role in the government of the city little by little. Funny. He had always known that his father was always busy, but it hadn’t been until recently that he had made conscious of what exactly implied to be the king.

 

Honestly! Why so many people wanted the job? It sucked! There was so much work to do! The kingdom was not going to take care of itself – though personally Jareid thought it should – and it needed a number of services that had to be administered. Of course that the king didn’t do everything, but he had to be aware of the most important things, and he had the final decision on anything that required his attention. A lot of power, with a lot of responsibility to make it company.

 

Jareid huffed and decided to make a quick job of the pile of paper. He had to see the commander later on to talk about some promotions. He sighed and focused on the report in his hand. He had to do a good job, after all, it wouldn’t do for him to be lazing about while his mate was training really hard.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra got his head out of the river and breathed, trying not to swallow water in the process. Then he ducked his head again and continued fighting against the current. He was close. Just a few more strokes and he’d have reached the rock where his teammate was waiting. The force or the current threatened to smash him against the rocks, and the net he was carrying was heavy. He had been close to lose it a couple of times, and he shouldn’t let that happen.

 

His legs and arms propelled him forward two more times, and he reached his destination. He barely pulled the net out of the water when Xora grabbed it and suddenly the extra weight was gone, and Tygra could move easier and get a safer grip on the rock. He breathed deeply and took some moments to rest. Xora had already left the rock and Tygra could barely see his head among the rapids. They were against the clock, so he better hurry.

 

Training in the river was one of the things that Tygra loved the most, especially on very hot days. The first times some of his teammates had been concerned that his experience with Bali almost drowning him would become a handicap. A few had actually expected him to be afraid of the water. Tygra had thought it ridiculous. Sure, someone had attempted to murder him, and he had been too close to drown for comfort, but it hadn’t been the water’s fault. The river certainly had not been the one to attack him, so Tygra didn’t see why he should be afraid.

 

Soon, he had shown his teammates that he was as good in the river as he was in everywhere else, and the jaguars had ceased to worry about him. Though Tygra still suspected that they had been more worried about Jareid’s possible retaliation if something happened to him, than for his security.

 

Once rested and breath recovered, Tygra ducked into the water once more and swam towards the shore. The rest of his group was waiting for him, and trainer Kab gave him his time. He was glad to see he had managed the shortest time until then. There was nothing else to do but wait for his teammates to finish.

 

As soon as he was free from the training, Tygra looked for his brother. It was dusk already but Tygra was sure that Lion-O would still be outside the palace. He found him with Yeana, apparently helping her, or trying to, with her arts’ work. The little jaguaress loved to draw and paint, and she took her lessons very seriously. She had been trying to draw Lion-O and Snarf, but the pet wouldn’t stay put long enough for her to draw him. Now that Snarf was asleep among the bushes, Yeana was taking her chance.

 

Lion-O was looking as she worked diligently. Tygra sat down close to his little brother, and leaned against a tree.

 

“Hey tyke. How you doing?”

 

“Ty! I haven’t seen you eat since yesterday! Is everything fine?” The lion asked worriedly. Tygra smiled at him.

 

“I’m fine. I’ve been eating, just not at the table with everyone else.”

 

Lion-O pouted at him, and then he went back to watch Yeana draw. He had a book on his hands, but he had stopped paying attention to it some time ago.

 

Tygra looked at Yeana for a moment. The girl was a sweet. Really quiet and shy when she was meeting new people, more active and talkative once she got used to you. She was always very proper in front of the adults, but Tygra had seen her playing with Lion-O or other kittens her age, and run about, and climb trees, and getting as dirty as everyone else. She had helped Lion-O to find friends his age, and Tygra could see that his brother was growing fond of her.

 

The tiger thought about the last part and considered his brother once more. Friends. Here, in Ix-Maal, Lion-O had friends his own age. There had been no more kittens in Thundera’s palace. Lion-O had always had only Tygra to play with, because he hadn’t been allowed to get out of the palace’s grounds and mingle with the citizens. It was not a wonder that he had felt rejected when Tygra had started to ignore him.

 

The tiger sighed. His brother, heir to Thudera’s crown, had been a very lonely kit.

 

Yeana finished her drawing, puffing in annoyance because there wasn’t enough light for her to put more effort into it. The garden’s lamps had turned on, but artificial light was only a palliative. It didn’t give the same brilliance as the sun. The girl showed her work to the two brothers. Lion-O told her it was great. Tygra looked at the nine-year-old’s drawing and smiled in amusement. The ears were too large, and the tail short and thinner than it should be. The drawing resembled more some kind of rodent than a snarf, but Tygra told Yeana that it was very good. The girl ran happily towards the palace to show it to her mother, leaving the siblings alone.

 

Lion-O picked Snarf up. The pet yawned, and continued sleeping on his owner’s arms. The lion chuckled and then turned towards his big brother.

 

“You want to tell me something. You have _that_ look.”

 

Tygra raised his eyebrows and smirked.

 

“Something’s in my mind, yes.” Then he sighed and looked towards the castle for a moment. “Tell me Lion-O, if I found a way to get back home, permanently, to cancel the treaty, would you be ok with it?”

 

Lion-O stared at him for a few seconds. Then a scowl formed on his young forehead.

 

“You mean, getting back to our old lives? In Thundera, with no contact whatsoever with the jaguars?”

 

Tygra was about to nod, but paused. He frowned in thought and finally shrugged.

 

“I don’t think that’s possible. Now that we have started contact of sorts I think that father should stay in touch. He should see that Thundera could benefit a lot from the jaguars’ technology. It’d be foolish to cut all ties with them.” He paused again, and sighed. “Though I’m sure he’d be wary to let us stay in touch with them, at least for a while.”

 

Lion-O bit his lip and looked down, thinking about it. After a couple of minutes, he raised his eyes.

 

“Would you be angry with me again?”

 

Tygra frowned in question.

 

“Angry with you? Why should I be?”

 

Lion-O shrugged and looked at Snarf.

 

“You know, because I got to be king. Even when I am not the best choice for it.”

 

Tygra groaned. If he ever went back to Thundera he might have to do severe damage to a couple of people there. Grune came to mind. The sabretooth had been one of the most vocal in his dislike for Lion-O’s heritage. It was good that the general had been sent away in a mission. Lion-O continued, a bit aghast by his brother’s silence.

 

“I just don’t want you to resent me, and start avoiding me again. I don’t want the crown Tygra, I prefer to have my brother with me, like you have been here. Maybe now that the Sword of Omens is in Baal’s possession I can renounce to my right to the crown and give it to you? That’d make you happy?”

 

Tygra stopped Lion-O and held him close to himself.

 

“No Lion-O, don’t think that way. You’d be a great king, even Jareid mentioned it once.”

 

A sniff escaped Lion-O’s nose, and he let Snarf go to hold onto his brother.

 

“You think so?”

 

“Of course. I promise you Lion-O, no matter where we are, I’d always be at your side. Ok?”

 

Lion-O nodded and felt reassured. After a while they let go of each other, and Lion-O stood up. Snarf had woken up and started to trot towards the building.

 

“It’s ok if we go back Tygra. If it makes you happy, I’d back you up. We only have to make sure to not lose contact. Both kingdoms would be unstoppable if we cement an alliance, don’t you think?”

 

Tygra smiled.

 

“I’m sure of that.”

 

Lion-O beamed at his brother and ran after Snarf to get some dinner.

 

Tygra watched him go. Some steps away the lion turned back to see if his brother was following him and frowned. The tiger promised to catch up in a minute and Lion-O rolled his eyes, but continued his way.

 

Tygra was pensive for a while. He had spent a good part of the day trying to sort out his feelings. At the end he had focused on his talk with Bengali, and now he added his brother’s words and fears into the mixture.

 

He could simplify his dilemma to two options, based on how Ben and Lion-O saw things. He could either stay in a city that was not his home, but where he was needed, in a strange sort of way, and where his brother was happy, or try to go back to a home where everyone wanted him to be the king, but no one would allow him to try for it.

 

Tygra huffed and stood up. Now, he only needed to add what _he_ thought about it, and maybe clear out what _he_ wanted.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid entered the bedroom with the firm intention of going to hunt Tygra down if the tiger wasn’t there already. He was done with letting his mate have “space”. They were talking now!

 

Tygra was getting out of the changing room in a pair of blue boxers, and stared at him for a moment before sighing and walk towards the bed. Jareid took that as a sign of his mate’s calmer mood. Perhaps he would be more receptive and willing to agree to what Jareid wanted. The jaguar prince didn’t like to be denied something, but he was willing to negotiate with his mate if that would make the tiger happy. He didn’t like the idea of been at odds with his mate.

 

He got rid of his clothes quickly and joined Tygra in the bed. The teen had lied down on his side, without bothering to cover himself with the sheet. Their combined body heat was already more than enough for the warm night.

 

Jareid lied at the tiger’s side and embraced the smaller form from behind. He knew that Tygra was awake and he was not going to endure the silent treatment anymore. They needed to talk.

 

“Are you still upset with me my tiger? Come on, talk to me. I really want to talk this through with you.”

 

Tygra sighed and hugged himself. One of Jareid’s arms covered his and he closed his eyes for a few seconds, breathing in the scent of his mate. Jareid was getting impatient and was about to prod again when Tygra finally spoke in a soft voice.

 

“You broke me. You know that, don’t you? You broke me, and then put me back together again. Only I was not the same anymore.”

 

A hand caressed his cheek and Jareid’s arm tightened his hold.

 

“My little tiger…”

 

Tygra gave a sharp intake of breath and bit his lip. He had never before acknowledged out loud what Jareid had done to him to his face.

 

“I’m ruined. You ruined me for everyone but you. I won’t ever be able to be with anyone else… to forget…”

 

A sob escaped him, and he covered his mouth with a hand. Jareid turned him over his other side to face him. Tygra’s fist suddenly came up and hit Jareid’s chest with force, repeatedly. Jareid growled, but didn’t stop his mate. He didn’t’ let go of the other’s body either. He kept Tygra close, and after a few punches the tiger was in tears.

 

“You hurt me! You. Hurt. Me!” He punctuated his words with his fists, and then sobbed. “I should want to leave.” He said quietly between sobs.

 

Jareid’s chest rumbled, but he managed to restrain himself. His mate was in distress, and he was the cause of it. He remembered his talk with Bengali and the shaman’s parting words. He surrounded the quivering young body with his arms and promised himself that he’d make it up to Tygra. Somehow he was going to make up for the pain he had caused to his mate, and that was still hurting him.

 

He started to work on the teen’s scalp, precisely at the spots he knew would calm the tiger. He groomed the back of the soft ears and kissed his mate tenderly. Tygra gave a quiet sob.

 

“… ‘s not fair… you shouldn’t know how to soothe me… I shouldn’t let you… It shouldn’t feel good…”

 

“Sshh… my little tiger.”

 

Jareid kissed the teen’s temple again, and continued his caresses.

 

“I’m sorry my tiger. I’m so sorry I hurt you in such a way. Never again my tiger. I promise you, never again.”

 

Little by little the sobs receded and Tygra fell into a calm slumber. He was in the edge of consciousness, but he still heard Jareid’s words.

 

“Stay with me Tygra. Please stay. I promised I’d never leave you. Let me fulfil my promise.”

 

Tygra sighed, more asleep than awake. He didn’t feel coherent enough to answer. He let Jareid’s hands lull him into dreamland instead.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

It smelt of Jareid. That was the first thing that Tygra’s mind grasped upon returning to consciousness. His first response, purely by instinct, was to cuddle closer to the bigger body beside him and burrow his nose in the jaguar’s fur. It took a few more moments for him to fully wake up and realize what he had done. He sighed in defeat. It had taken some time for his instinct to identify Jareid as his mate, but now that the step was taken, his unconscious mind was not going to let go.

 

Tygra opened his eyes just a little bit and breathed deeply. He felt warm and safe in Jareid’s arms. His instinct was screaming ‘ _mate_ ’ at him and purring in contentment. This was what he had missed the previous morning. The first one in months that he had woken up alone, and the sensation of safety had been solely absent. His conscious mind had not realized it at the moment, but he had felt that something had been missing. He closed his eyes again and just let himself feel.

 

Jareid grunted and his hands started to move all over Tygra’s back, letting the tiger know that he was awake. The jaguar mumbled something unintelligible and then a paw found Tygra’s boxers and fumbled a bit before inserting itself under them. Jareid growled in annoyance.

 

“… don’t like you wearing this in bed…”

 

Tygra whimpered, and then sighed. Sometimes it seemed that Jareid had only one thing in mind.

 

He waited until he was sure that the jaguar was lucid enough and then he moved backwards. His mate put one hand on his hip to prevent him from getting too far. The older prince caressed his cheek with his knuckles and then licked his lips. Tygra didn’t look up, but he didn’t try to get away either.

 

“Tygra?”

 

“Why me?” The young prince asked. Jareid’s hand stopped and he raised an eyebrow.

 

“Sorry?”

 

“I just… I just want to know why you want me.” He looked at Jareid then, directly to his clear blue eyes. “I mean, you’re the heir, and you’re gonna be king someday. You could have anyone you wanted. So, why me?”

 

Jareid sighed and leaned down enough to brush Tygra’s forehead with his lips.

 

“Infuriating little cat.”

 

He kissed the youth, and backed off a bit to look at the tiger’s face again.

 

“If I can have anyone I want, why not you?”

 

Tygra scowled and looked away shrugging. Jareid pulled him against his body again, and caressed his back.

 

“Very few cats have managed to make me feel anything besides contempt and disgust. They want honours and position, and they think that they could have that if they get close enough to me. You know, they say that I don’t care about the welfare of others, but why should I? They certainly don’t care an inch about me. They want a king. Nothing else.”

 

Tygra positioned his head on the juncture of Jareid’s neck and shoulder. The jaguar’s cheek brushed against his forehead.

 

“You don’t want a king. That’s why you only see me. Why you can know me. A mate. Not a king.”

 

Tygra sighed and closed his eyes for a few seconds. Deep inside he could feel Jareid’s unique loneliness. A longing that didn’t really know what was missing.

 

He let some moments pass by, knowing that he had already made his choice. He prayed it was the right one, because there was no going back after this.

 

“I’ll have our cub.”

 

Jareid paused and then moved to look at Tygra’s face.

 

“But I want to ask something of you.”

 

The jaguar kissed him tenderly, barely a brush of the lips.

 

“Whatever you want my tiger.”

 

Tygra’s eyes hardened. His voice was dead serious at that moment.

 

“I want to take my cub to Thundera. So my father can meet his first grandchild.”

 

Jareid stared at him. Tygra held his look firm. He knew that the jaguar loathed the very thought of sharing him in any way, but he was not renouncing to his home and family. Not completely at least. Finally Jareid nodded and put a hand on the back of the tiger’s head.

 

“I’d take you both to visit. As soon as you both are able to travel.”

 

Tygra’s eyes brightened and he gave Jareid a sincere smile. The jaguar kissed him again, this time more possessively. Tygra let him, and even returned the kiss, feeling oddly at peace with himself.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Later on the day, after training, Tygra sat in an office in the shamans’ wing, asking himself how exactly he had ended up having a, rather embarrassing, talk with Bengali on how a male went about having cubs with another male. From all the technical words you could think it was all very impersonal and cold, unless you were actually considering going through it. _Then_ it was intimate and scary.

 

He looked up at Jareid pleadingly. He had agreed to do this, but now he was having second thoughts.

 

“Do I really have to do this? Females already have all the necessary parts to carry cubs to term. Why are you so against asking someone to do this for us?”

 

Part of the procedure was to surgically insert an artificial womb in Tygra’s abdominal region, so they could implant the embryos that would grow inside his body. The tiger didn’t like the idea. He’d rather avoid having any part of his anatomy changed, be it internal or external. Besides, it was not without danger. They’d have to inject certain hormones in him on a regular basis for his body to accept the strange addition and maintain it for as long as the pregnancy lasted. If Tygra’s body rejected the womb, it could retaliate aggressively and make itself very ill trying to get rid of the foreign part. Not to mention that a male’s body was not prepared to deal with all the metabolic changes that a pregnancy implied. The stress was going to be considerable.

 

Jareid clenched his fists and his lips formed a tight line. Bengali could see that the jaguar was making an effort to rein on his anger, and decided to turn it against himself before it exploded on Tygra.

 

“There are some cases when that is advisable. Not everyone can handle the physical and emotional stress that it implies…”

 

Of course Jareid rounded on him immediately, taking the few steps required to be face to face with him and growling. Tygra stood up in alarm, but Ben made a gesture with his hand, indicating him to not move. The white tiger could handle Jareid, as long as the jaguar wasn’t in a murderous rage.

 

“Tygra is perfectly capable to handle it! He’s strong enough!”

 

“This is not only muscle strength we’re talking about. His body is going to react to the change, and if it doesn’t take it well it could be dangerous.”

 

He was more worried about the mental strain it would put on Tygra. The orange tiger could handle an assassination attempt against him without batting an eye, but take his brother away and he was a mess. He was just recovering from a very hard emotional blow. They would have to be very careful with him, and hormonal treatment always caused havoc with emotions as it was.

 

Jareid continued growling, and Tygra decided to drag attention to himself again.

 

“Excuse me, but shouldn’t I be the one to decide if I’m going through this or not? It’s my body we’re talking about here! You know?”

 

Jareid glared at him and hissed in anger.

 

“You can take it, and you agreed to this! We have a deal!”

 

“I said I will have a cub with you. And I will! As I understand from Bengali’s explanation the cub will still be ours, even if someone else carries him. He won’t have anything from his surrogate mother, only our traits. It won’t mess with the pact because she wouldn’t really be his mother.”

 

“No! I’m not having it!”

 

Bengali grabbed Jareid’s fist before it impacted with the closest piece of furniture.

 

“Calm down Jareid! Look, I know why you don’t want a surrogate, but we have to test Tygra anyway. If his metabolism is too unstable it’d be too dangerous for him to carry cubs.”

 

The jaguar growled menacingly at both tigers and then turned around and started to pace along the office. Tygra gritted his teeth in annoyance.

 

“Just tell me why you don’t want to consider it! I think it’d even be safer for the cub!”

 

Jareid just growled again, and Bengali sighed.

 

“That temper of yours needs to be taken down a bit Jareid. You’re gonna kill yourself one of these days.”

 

The jaguar ignored the admonition and continued his pacing. Ben shook his head and turned to Tygra.

 

“Well, at least he’s not breaking anything. Let him cool off a little.”

 

“I still don’t understand why it’s so important that we do this his way.”

 

“He’s stubborn. But besides that, while it’s true that the cub would be yours, because the genetic material we’d use is going to be from only you two, there’s also the fact that a female bonds emotionally with any cub she carries, be it hers or not. Instinct just doesn’t know the difference. And it’s instinct that urges a female to protect the cub inside her. When the cub is born, she’d feel compelled to keep it out of range from everyone for a couple of days.

 

“Also, the cub makes its own bonding. It associates the sound and rhythm of its mother’s heart with safety and comfort. It has several months to memorize it. It’d only take food from its mother for the first days, and would be very distressed if taken away from her too young. Many surrogate mothers have to stay with the family for years. The cubs end up more attached to the surrogates than to their biological parents. Jareid doesn’t want that to happen. He wants a family with just you.”

 

Tygra scowled and thought for a minute. He didn’t want any cub of his to experience the trauma of losing someone that he would have identified as a mother. He didn’t remember much about his own early cubhood, nor did he remember his real mother, but he had been told that he had spent about two days without eating, and that he wouldn’t stop crying at night. Claudus had been getting desperate. Fortunately the queen had managed to make him eat more and more, and he had bonded with her eventually. He also remembered his brother. He didn't know what Jaga had done to make Lion-O eat. He only knew that they had been very close to lose his brother along with their mother.

 

Jareid embraced his mate from behind, startling the young tiger. However, Tygra calmed when he realized that the jaguar’s temper was back under control. Bengali looked at them for a moment before continuing talking.

 

“Also, you’re no normal couple, you’re going to be ‘the Royal Couple’. If it comes to the point that you have to get a surrogate, you’d have to be very careful in choosing her. It’d be almost a given that she’d end up demanding to be acknowledged as consort, with all the privileges that it implies.”

 

Jareid growled again and Tygra frowned. _That_ he didn’t like. He knew that a consort didn’t only mean another one who shared Jareid’s bed. A consort was a position that held political and social power, besides a number of responsibilities within the palace. The tiger gritted his teeth. No one was going to use his cubs as an excuse to get a position. He had accepted the whole thing to have a family, not to provide a ladder for someone to climb up to a higher rank! He sighed, realizing that Jareid might had had a good point for not wanting a surrogate.

 

“Fine. I’d try it. But you better guarantee that whatever changes are made _will_ be undone at the end of this!”

 

Bengali smirked.

 

“Of course! No need to worry about that.”

 

Jareid tightened his embrace and kissed Tygra’s temple.

 

“You’d be fine my tiger. I’m going to be with you for the entire thing.”

 

“Yeah, that’s kind of worrying me. Are you going to be able to control your temper? I’d prefer to see the end of this thing in one piece.”

 

Jareid chuckled and nibbled his ear.

 

“Infuriating little cat. I’d be in my best behaviour for you ok? I can’t promise anything about the rest of the world though.”

 

“Just please don’t go all overprotective and jealous.”

 

“Tygra, you’re asking too much.” Said Bengali with a chuckle. Jareid glared at him.

 

“No one asked your opinion!”

 

Bengali grinned unrepentantly. Tygra smiled. Deep inside he was terrified as hell and severely questioning his sanity. But he had made his choice, and he was going to stick by it.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The couple made an appearance that evening at the dining room. Tygra had hoped to have a quiet dinner. He didn’t want to have to answer questions or explain his motives for his short absence from meals. Besides, he rather suspected that Baal had been informed of his every move for the two previous days, so the king shouldn’t need to ask anything.

 

Unfortunately, Jareid was so happy that he just had to tell everyone about Tygra’s willingness to have their first cub.

 

Baal was very pleased. He and Xilara congratulated the young couple and asked if he had already arranged everything with the shamans. Yeana squealed in delight at the thought of cubs. Lion-O was serious and regarded his brother with a bit of doubt, but Yeana’s enthusiasm soon got to him, and he smiled at the girl’s antics.

 

Baal was happy that his son had managed to counteract whatever the cleric had told Tygra. Claudus was not going to have one on him. If the lion wanted to see his sons he would have to make things Baal’s way. No one would say that Baal had forced anyone. The two princes had chosen to remain away from Thundera, who was he to deny them?

 

Tygra was very embarrassed, but he accepted the congratulations and prayed for his brother to keep his mouth shut. He was in no mood to answer uncomfortable questions. Thankfully, Yeana took the lion’s attention away with her exuberance. Tygra himself couldn’t help but to smile at the girl’s plans to play with her future nephews and nieces.

 

They finished dinner rather quickly, and Jareid almost dragged Tygra towards their rooms. The tiger started to shiver in fear and anticipation. Jareid was a very physical cat, and it was like sex and violence were his only two outlets for absolutely everything. Tygra grudgingly accepted that he’d rather have the sex, though it often came with a fare share of aggressiveness. He was getting used to it, but some of the things that Jareid liked to do to him still caused him a great deal of conflict and embarrassment.

 

They stopped in front of a door that was just around the hall from their own. Tygra blinked at Jareid’s sudden immobility and scowled in question. The jaguar smirked and with a movement of his head signalled towards the door.

 

“I haven’t had the opportunity to show this to you. We have been rather busy with other problems. It’s mean to be your mating gift.”

 

Tygra raised an eyebrow and touched the controls for the door to open. He entered to an ample, empty room. There was a big window instead of one of the walls, and the tiger could see that there was a balcony at the other side. He turned to look at Jareid in wonder.

 

“This is yours. You can furnish and decorate it as you want. Your own private space for when you want to be apart from the world. And look…”

 

Jareid walked to the opposite wall from the entrance and pressed something there, revealing another door. Tygra poked his head and saw it lead to Jareid’s study. He looked around again to be certain that the new room was still there. Jareid’s arm rested on his shoulders and he felt a kiss on his head.

 

“Do you like it my tiger?”

 

Tygra nodded and licked his lips. His own room. Maybe it didn’t look like such a big deal, but it was important for him.

 

“Yes. Yes, I do. Thank you, I… I really appreciate it.”

 

He suddenly looked at Jareid shamefully.

 

“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t…”

 

Jareid pulled him into a heated kiss and groped his buttocks. Tygra gasped and tried to hold on to Jareid’s arms. The jaguar only moved his hands and grabbed the tiger’s wrists, pulling them at the youth’s back. He held them there with one hand, while with the other he pulled at Tygra’s mane, exposing the teen’s neck and attacking it. Tygra moaned helplessly, and Jareid licked the mark he had just made.

 

“You have already given me everything.”

 

Another suck at his neck, and Tygra whimpered. Jareid was getting more excited, and the tiger didn’t fancy to be fucked against a wall. It was uncomfortable.

 

“Uhn!… Jareid… bed… please…”

 

The jaguar growled and with a quick move picked up Tygra and swung the smaller body over his shoulder. Tygra yelled indignantly.

 

“Hey! I didn’t tell you to carry me!”

 

A smack on his butt made him yelp and sunk his claws at the jaguar’s back.

 

“Jareid!”

 

“Don’t fret so much my tiger. You know you like it.”

 

Tygra bit his lips and growled in annoyance. He didn’t want to accept that Jareid was right. He liked it.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Lion-O lifted his practice sword as he stopped the blow from his opponent. He parried with all he had, meeting the other sword hit by hit. Eventually, the jaguar hesitated and left his guard open. Lion-O took his chance and with a quick move disarmed his opponent. He held the sword to the other’s neck for a moment and then his trainer declared him the winner. Lion-O lowered the sword and grinned at the other kit, who huffed and smiled in return, shaking his head.

 

There were six kits in Lion-O’s group. Himself, another four males, and a female. All of them were very good with the sword. Lion-O had been very nervous and shy at the beginning, and the kits had been distrustful of him. They hadn’t even talked to him on the first day. The next time, Yeana had gone to the courtyards, looking for someone to play with. She had latched onto Lion-O, and then roped everyone into a game of tag. She had continued to do that for some days, engaging every kit she could find into her games.

 

Little by little, the other kits had grown used to Lion-O’s presence, and had started to talk to him. His group of training soon had included him into their own pastimes, and invited him to go exploring. The training had become more enjoyable, and Lion-O had soon realized that he wasn’t really bad at swordsmanship. Years of training with his brother had in fact given him an adequate development of his skills. So, when he had been put against someone his own age, and at par with his strength, the lion had found out that it wasn’t so difficult to hold himself in combat. He had made significant progress along the year, and now he could start practising with real weapons. He felt really proud of his achievement, but hadn’t informed his brother any of it. Tygra had his hands full, and Lion-O was trying to do his best to not be a burden for him.

 

Now though, he needed to talk seriously with Tygra. Jareid’s announcement had been a surprise for him. He would never have taken his brother for one willing to have cubs so young. He needed to make sure that the tiger was really ok with it. Besides, a consort would surely put strain in any relationship. Maybe Tygra was hoping to get rid of Jareid somehow, but Lion-O had been under the impression that his brother had not been on bad terms with his mate for a long time.

 

He was thinking on ways to approach the subject with Tygra when his friends interrupted him.

 

“Hey, Lion-O! Are you going to the town’s festival with us tomorrow? It’s Insha’s and there’s going to be music!”

 

“Sure. I just have to tell Xiao, and Yeana is going to want to go too.”

 

“That’s fine. She usually goes with her friends anyway. We’d see you at the gates after breakfast, ok?”

 

“Fine.”

 

“Take care!”

 

Three kits ran out of the courtyard towards the gates. Two remained by Lion-O’s side. The girl, called Mixa, who was the daughter of one of the councillors, and a black jaguar called Alux, the son of one of the generals. Both of them lived at the palace’s grounds. Mixa soon said her goodbyes and went to find her mother. Alux walked with Lion-O into the halls of the palace.

 

“Listen Lion-O, I have a question that I really don’t want to ask you, but my cousin Litha is bugging me non-stop, and frankly she’s driving me crazy.”

 

“Uh? Really? I don’t think I’ve met your cousin?”

 

“You’ve not. And you’re lucky. She’s completely nuts and a total gossip. She wants to know about your brother, so she’d have something new to tell her friends.”

 

Lion-O scowled.

 

“Well, I don’t think I’d provide her any information at all.”

 

“Look, I could care less, but she’s really been a pain in the ass, and mother told me to just ask you what she wants so we can have peace.”

 

The lion raised and eyebrow at his friend. Alux was usually quiet and very patient. His cousin must be very annoying to make him mad.

 

“What she wants to know?”

 

Alux sighed despairingly and shook his head.

 

“It’s an idiocy. She’d know sooner or later anyway. She just doesn’t want to wait. She wants to know if our prince has decided when to have an heir, and if your brother would agree to a consort to get it or not.”

 

Lion-O pressed his lips and growled. He didn’t like the young court gossiping about his brother.

 

“What does she care? That’s certainly not her business!”

 

“I know! I told you, she’s just a gossip. Personally, I think she wants to try her hand at the consort thing. She has a crush on your brother, and she thinks that they both surely look too yummy in bed together, you know when they…”

 

“Yick! Alux! That’s my brother you’re talking about!”

 

“Sorry.” Said the jaguar sheepishly. “So?”

 

Lion-O gave a suffering sigh.

 

“Look, it’s no one’s business if they are thinking about an heir or not. And no one had mentioned anything about consorts yet.”

 

Alux shrugged noncommittally.

 

“Well, I only had to ask you. She can’t say I didn’t try. Hopefully she’d look for information elsewhere.”

 

“Just tell her to leave it alone!”

 

The jaguar chuckled.

 

“You don’t have much experience with females, do you? Anyway, I’d see you tomorrow.”

 

Lion-O huffed indignantly at his friend’s comment, but he said his goodbyes politely. Alux went through the hall that would lead him to the nobles’ private apartments, and Lion-O continued his way to the Royals’. However, he hadn’t advanced far when he heard excited chatter coming from one of the rooms. His curiosity got the better of him and he stopped close to the open arch to one of the spaces meant for salons. Two women were talking with more than a little enthusiasm. Lion-O could distinguish one of the servants and a noble.

 

“So, are you sure about it Xani? He is finally sleeping in his own room?”

 

“Prince Jareid asked for the craftsman. He is supposed to come tomorrow to see what prince Tygra wants. What else could he be furnishing?”

 

“May the spirits hear you! It’s about time! I knew the brat wouldn’t keep him interested for long. Have you heard anything about possible consorts?”

 

“No Ma’am…”

 

Lion-O stopped listening and hurried to the Royal apartments. He found his brother on his way there, surprisingly with Snarf riding on his shoulder.

 

“Lion-O! You better keep track of this pet of yours. Someone almost shot him in the training!”

 

Snarf gave a pathetic mew and Lion-O extended his arms to him. The pet jumped and purred at his owner.

 

“Snarf! You know you aren’t supposed to wander into training camp!”

 

Snarf mewled again and looked chastised. Tygra rolled his eyes.

 

“Trainer Kab suggested putting him a collar. That way others could identify him as a pet and not a wild critter. There are some special ones that will protect him if he likes to go exploring the jungle.”

 

“Oh. Well, he has never liked collars. But I think he’d have to get used to it.”

 

Snarf lifted his head and mewled in protest.

 

“I’m sorry Snarf. I don’t want you shot and prepared for someone’s dinner.”

 

The pet made an unhappy sound and rested his head on Lion-O’s shoulder. The boy petted him lovingly. Tygra smirked at the scene.

 

“Now that’s settled, we should be heading to our rooms. It’s getting late.”

 

Lion-O nodded and followed his brother to their side of the apartments. They needed a shower before going to dinner, but before that he wanted to ask his questions. Thankfully Tygra made things easier for him.

 

“Come, I want to show you my new room.”

 

Lion-O looked earnestly at the door his brother was opening. It was close to Jareid’s entrance. That calmed his fears a bit. If they were staying close the rift couldn’t be so bad. Still, the fact that there _was_ another room for his brother didn’t sit well within him. He had the uncomfortable feeling that it was like dismissing the tiger.

 

The room was big, and it was still empty. The first thing Lion-o noticed was the huge window and the balcony. He put Snarf on the floor and wandered around.

 

“So… is this because you want your own space?”

 

Tygra grinned, and his eyes actually sparkled with joy.

 

“Yes. I’m planning on having my study here, and combining it with a nice reading space, like a sitting room.”

 

Lion-O was happy to hear that. His brother was not moving out of his shared bedroom after all. That concern put to rest, he moved on to the other one.

 

“I like the view.” He offered. Tygra beamed.

 

“It is good. Maybe you can help me to choose the furniture. I’m supposed to see the craftsman tomorrow.”

 

“I’d love to, but I’m going to the festival with my friends. I’m not sure what time I’d be back.”

 

“It’s ok. Yeana had been talking about the musicians for weeks now. I’m sure she’s gonna want to go too.”

 

Lion-O nodded absently. He wanted to ask his brother about his decision to have cubs, but he didn’t know how he could start. He decided to use what Alux had told him.

 

“You know Tygra, Alux’s cousin is asking strange things.”

 

The tiger raised an eyebrow at his brother.

 

“Who’s Alux’s cousin?”

 

“I don’t know.” Said Lion-O shrugging. “Some noble girl. Anyway, she wanted to know if you’d agree to a consort.”

 

Tygra scowled.

 

“I?”

 

“Yes.” Lion-O nodded enthusiastically. “You see, she has a crush on you, and apparently she finds you and Jareid ‘yummy’.”

 

Tygra blushed bright red, and Lion-O chuckled. He had complained to Alux for putting images in his head, but there was no reason why he shouldn’t tease his own brother with them. The tiger groaned in mortification.

 

“For all the…! I’m not ‘yummy’! Damn jaguars!”

 

Lion-O sobered after a few seconds of laugh, and followed his brother out of the new room. They had to get ready for dinner.

 

“Well, and what about the consort part?” Lion-O wanted to know. Tygra sighed.

 

“Look, I really have no say on that. Jareid is the one who can choose a consort, if he wants one. Which he swears he doesn’t. I’m starting to think that he might be serious on that.”

 

Lion-O frowned. Something wasn’t adding up.

 

“But… I thought he wanted cubs, and that you had accepted. Was that only a general agreement? I had the impression that he meant to have an heir soon.”

 

Tygra was blushing again, deeper this time. He coughed discretely and looked everywhere but at Lion-O.

 

“Yeah, uhm, well he does want it to be soon. It has to be soon in fact. It’s a requirement for the pact.”

 

Lion-O looked at his brother in confusion.

 

“A requirement? How?”

 

“Well… is just that every alliance between clans require an heir from the mating. That’d make the alliance true. And because of the ritual we performed, we only have a year to produce a cub.”

 

Lion-O lifted an eyebrow and thought about the implications.

 

“O…K… But… that means you both have to choose a consort. An heir can’t be born outside the pride.”

 

“Mmmph… There’s actually no need for a consort.”

 

Lion-O frowned. He was not following his brother’s reasoning. Two males needed a female to give them cubs. They had to form a pride. There was only one other option that he could think about.

 

“You mean you can adopt? Would the cub be considered an heir then? He won’t have Jareid’s blood, or yours.”

 

“No, I…” Tygra was very embarrassed. He didn’t know how to explain. “Look, it’s something to do with technology. Biotechnology in fact.”

 

“Oooh, that’s what the shamans use for medicine, and some surgeries!”

 

“Yes! Precisely. Erm… You see, there are ways for two males to have cubs.”

 

Lion-O listened in growing concern as his brother explained what had to be done. At the end he looked at Tygra with big eyes.

 

“That sounds dangerous. Are you sure you want to do it Tygra? Why not choose a carrier? Sounds much more sensible.”

 

“Well, besides the fact that Jareid is not the embodiment of sensibility, or reason mind you, I really doubt we can find someone who’s not just looking for improving her standing in the court. If I were going to give a mother to my cubs, I’d prefer she really cares for them. I don’t want anyone using my cub to obtain favours or position.”

 

Lion-O nodded. He understood the reason, but still didn’t like it.

 

“Are you sure you’re gonna be ok?”

 

“I’d be fine. No need to worry about me. Bengali and the High Shaman are going to be in charge of the entire procedure. Ben would stop it if things get out of hand.”

 

Well, that was something. Lion-O would have to talk with the white tiger to be sure that his brother was in no danger. He got closer to Tygra before going ahead to his own room to have a shower.

 

“Ok. You’d let me help if anything is wrong, wouldn’t you? I’m your brother.”

 

“Sure tyke.”

 

Tygra smiled. Somehow he felt a little bit better that Lion-O was worrying about him, and not accusing him and telling him he was mad. He felt reassured in an emotional way. If his little brother supported him, his choice might not be so bad after all.

 


	12. Doubts and Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Very light bondage in this chapter.  
> This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  

 Bengali examined the results from the tests they had applied to Tygra with a deep frown. Apparently everything was in order, the only peak in the hormonal chart was for the adrenaline, and that was due to Tygra’s anxiety. It could be easily controlled and not a dangerous issue. The High Shaman was at his side, nodding in approval.

 

“Good. He has a strong constitution. There should be no problems. Though I’d have preferred that he wasn’t so young. This is going to have some effects on his growth, and we’d also have to be prepared for every eventuality we can think of. As his body is still developing it is bound to react to the major changes we have to make. We could have serious complications.”

 

Bengali sighed. It was too soon for Tygra, but they had to try it.

 

“Wouldn’t it be better if we convince prince Jareid to find a carrier.”

 

“I sincerely hope we wouldn’t have to do that. It’d be better for their relationship if Tygra carries the cub. As it is, they are still struggling with each other. A rift between them is the last thing we want. But you have been closer to them for this long. You should be able to tell us if a consort is advisable at this time.”

 

Ben shook his head in denial. As painful as the whole ordeal had been for Tygra, he knew that throwing another into the mixture would only make things worse.

 

“No. It’d definitely be the end of the tentative comfort they’d found. I believe that Tygra would be devastated, even if he himself doesn’t know it. And Jareid could regress to his previous behaviour.”

 

“So, we are going to do everything we can for this pregnancy to be successful. They only need one cub. We’re going to be specially careful with Tygra and keep him stable, as much as we possibly can.”

 

Bengali nodded. It was going to be rough for the young tiger, but he had a healthy physiognomy and good stamina. He could make it.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra surveyed his new room with satisfaction. The desk was beside the window, and there was a screen with a keyboard, a machine that he had found really useful for data storage. Opposite to the desk were two bookcases and a brand new puff. He had originally considered moving the one he had in the bedroom, but he hadn’t wanted to lose that particular spot. So he had decided to get another one for his private domain.

 

On the other part of the room was a large couch that covered one corner. Snarf was happily making himself at home there, having already found a way to get into the room. Tygra was still baffled that his brother’s pet had managed to find a way to open the sliding doors. He had had to accept that the critter was smarter than he had believed it to be.

 

The tiger shook his head and looked at the room at large again. It wasn’t finished. After some more pieces of furniture it still had to be decorated somehow, though Tygra didn’t think that’d be absolutely necessary.

 

He looked at the last piece that had arrived that morning. It was called a stereo, and it could play music. There was one in the dinning room that they listened to every day, and Lion-O had suggested Tygra to have one. The lion teen had been completely over the moon talking about it. Tygra chuckled at the memory and decided to test the contraption. He went quickly over the instructions and looked at the selection of music that the thing had to offer. He turned it on and fumbled a bit with the buttons, but eventually he got the machine playing some kind of soft flute music. He grinned at his success and sat heavily on the couch, avoiding Snarf and closing his eyes to relax a bit.

 

It had been a hard day, starting with his extremely embarrassing appointment with Bengali. He and Jareid had given their ejaculate sample for the Shamans to start the procedure, and it had had to be fresh. Of course Jareid had had no problems with that, but Tygra had had a very hard time trying to get off in an antiseptic room, knowing that Bengali was at the other side of the door. It might have been easier if he had gone alone, but with Jareid there, and insisting on helping him, the whole thing just had made Tygra want to die.

 

Then, Bengali and the High Shaman had given them the date for his surgery, which he was not looking forward to. He had had to remind himself that he had chosen to do this and that he was not going to get cold feet at the last minute.

 

After he had escaped the shamans he had gone to confirm with the craftsman the date that the last of the furniture would be delivered. Finally he had spent the rest of the day training in the jungle, and lieutenant Kab had questioned him about his oncoming surgery.

 

Tygra hated the fact that his training would be put on hold for as long as the High Shaman deemed necessary. What was he going to do? He’d die of boredom!

 

He was questioning his sanity for the millionth time when there was a knock at the door.

 

“Enter.” He said lazily.

 

The door opened and Jareid came in. He looked around quickly and gave a nod of approval before sitting down at Tygra’s side.

 

“Still not finished?”

 

“No. The other couch is due in two days, and the table and the cabinet in three. Though I think the craftsman is still waiting for me to ask for a bed.”

 

Jareid growled. Tygra had asked him on the first day he had seen the craftsman why the cat had come with his mind set on furnishing a bedroom. The jaguar prince had been pretty annoyed, realizing that the gossip of the palace had centred on Tygra’s new room. Some cats had believed that they would be sleeping in separate bedrooms, and so the craftsman had been told about it, and he had been expecting to provide adequate furniture. Of course, Jareid had been quick to erase that belief from the cat’s mind. Tygra wasn’t sleeping anywhere away from him. The jaguar prince had made sure that the service wouldn’t be spreading that particular rumour any longer.

 

“He’d better not been trying to convince you.”

 

“I think that you were pretty clear in your displeasure the first time. He hadn’t say anything. I just think that the idea is still in his head.”

 

“Well, he’d better forget it already.”

 

Jareid moved quickly. He took hold of Tygra’s hips and practically lifted the teen from the couch to sit him on his lap. Tygra yelped and tensed. He hated that Jareid always took him by surprise. He was now facing the jaguar, thighs open apart resting at both sides of Jareid’s waist, and his hands firmly on his mate’s shoulders. All of his muscles remained tense while his brain caught on with the new position. Then he glared to the jaguar and refused to relax.

 

“Jareid!”

 

The bigger cat smirked at him, and the hands that were on his hips started to make their way under his clothes.

 

“You’re not going anywhere. It took me too much time to convince you of that fact. I’m not letting any silly rumours ruin my efforts!”

 

Tygra blinked in confusion, but quickly realized that Jareid was talking about sleeping arrangements. He rolled his eyes and huffed.

 

“You’re just obsessed with me, and I have no idea why. That can’t be good, you know? You gave the service the scare of their lives just because they misunderstood a simple situation. You should have more control than that.”

 

Jareid chuckled and his hands caressed Tygra’s flanks. The teen moaned despite himself and gritted his teeth.

 

“Uhn… Damn it Jareid! I’m trying to be serious here!”

 

“I don’t see the point. You want to relax, just do it. Leave the serious scolding to Bengali. Right now it’s not your problem.”

 

Tygra wanted to protest, but Jareid’s hands on his torso, poking at all the right places, were very distracting. He growled under his breath as Jareid reached for his scalp and massaged. Tygra finally gave up and relaxed in his mate’s arms, allowing the jaguar free reign over his body. Soon, Tygra was practically lying on Jareid’s chest, arms loosely around the jaguar’s torso and head resting on one broad shoulder. Jareid was smirking in satisfaction.

 

“You have too many clothes on…” He started. Tygra growled menacingly.

 

“Don’t you dare!”

 

Jareid chuckled, but didn’t press. He felt too comfortable at the moment, and there really was no need to do more. One hand started to massage Tygra’s lower back in circles, and the teen sighed in contentment.

 

“This is absolutely unfair.” He muttered quietly.

 

“Mmm?”

 

“I should be allowed to turn _you_ into a heap of mush too. Why are only you the one with the privilege?”

 

Jareid laughed in amusement, and he pulled playfully at one of Tygra’s ears.

 

“Feisty little tiger.”

 

Tygra groaned and burrowed his nose in the fur of Jareid’s neck, breathing deeply.

 

“Can I bite you?” He asked suddenly with some apprehension.

 

Jareid tensed under him, and Tygra bit his lips, ready to apologize. What was he thinking? Jareid was the dominant. He did the biting, not the other way around.

 

Before he could utter another sound, Jareid relaxed, and his hand pressed Tygra’s head against his neck. The tiger panicked for a second before he understood that Jareid was giving him permission to do what he had asked. He moved a bit to the side to position his mouth better and licked the chosen spot first. Jareid’s chest rumbled, but he didn’t move to stop Tygra. The youth gave another two licks before pressing his open lips against the exposed neck and suck.

 

The jaguar growled lowly and steady. Tygra’s teeth barely grazed the skin. It was not really a bite. Tygra didn’t dare to do more than suck deeply. Then he licked the light mark a few more times and rested his head against Jareid’s shoulder again, sighing in relief. The hand on the nape of his neck started massaging once more and he began to purr.

 

“Happy now?” Jareid asked curiously. Tygra nodded minutely.

 

“A bit, yes… Thank you.”

 

Jareid chuckled quietly and relaxed again. They stayed like that for a long time.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The jaguar prince touched the side of his neck for the hundredth time that morning, trying to not scratch. It just felt odd.

 

It wasn’t as if he hadn’t sported love bites or other marks before. He often had scratches all over his back and arms, a few bites too, and Tygra’s claws sunk really deep when his tiger lost control. Many of his previous lovers had left him with a bite or two. But never on the neck.

 

The neck was a special place. It meant possession of a kind, a symbol of claiming and also trust. Jareid had never allowed anyone to bite him there, not even lick him. He had gone to sleep the previous night very conscious of the slight rearrange of power that had happened between his mate and himself. He was still mulling on it, trying to decide if he felt disgusted with the minimal change or not, and what he should do about it.

 

He arrived at the door of the room that he considered his office and opened absently. The study that was in his personal rooms was private. No one but a servant and Bengali entered his private quarters. He had an entire different set of rooms where he received people and attended whatever business was necessary. His ‘office’ was considerably smaller than his primary set of rooms, but it was decorated with all the opulence he could find. Only the finest materials for the furniture and rich tapestries on the walls, the best technology for the computer and stereo, everything pointing at his “show off” tendencies. People got sidetracked by what the room told them about its owner, and completely forgot to try finding out more about Jareid himself.

 

The jaguar prince crossed the receiving area and turned on the stereo, still absently. He needed to check on the reports of the royal guard, but he was too distracted to do anything. He stared at the computer screen for some moments before scoffing and turn towards the window.

 

Why was he there? He didn’t want to work. He was too out of sorts to pay any attention to what he was doing. He needed to supervise a set of exercises that the younger members of the guard were going to do, but that wouldn’t be until the afternoon. There was a meeting with his father and the Chief commander in the evening, but nothing for him to do at the moment except read reports.

 

Jareid frowned, remembering the reason why he hadn’t stayed in his private study. One of the servants had used the communicator and had told him that someone was asking to see him, that it was very important. Jareid looked around the empty office, and a growl joined his scowl. He had not passed anyone on the hall; he had not been that distracted. Where then was that someone that had been supposedly waiting for him?

 

Forgetting his personal dilemma for the moment, he looked to his right, towards the tapestry that concealed the _other_ door. The tapestry had clearly been moved and the barest hint of an open door behind it could be seen.

 

Jareid growled louder in annoyance. He had had sex with many cats, males and females, but he had never taken anyone of them to the bed he now shared with Tygra. _His_ bed was meant only for his mate. He would not have dared to offer his mate sleeping quarters that smelt of others. It would have been the worst disrespect ever. His many casual conquests had never seen the inside of his private rooms. That was the reason why this other bedroom existed. The majority of the young court knew where it was, and also knew that he would receive anyone who was willing to ‘play’ at anytime.

 

The prince approached the concealed door and pulled the tapestry out of the way. Sure enough, there was someone on the bed, clearly waiting for him. He gritted his teeth. He had thought he had been clear when he had announced that he had a mate and dismissed every cat that had used to entertain him. Apparently, the message had not been clear enough.

 

“Saixa. What the hell are you doing here?”

 

The female, who was entirely naked on the bed, looked up at him with her olive eyes, her long blond mane falling over one shoulder. She had been one of his favourites, although too dominant for a female. It had been fun to fight her in bed, and win. She was not much for the submissive role, but was able to take Jareid’s most aggressive behaviour without complaint. At least while the act lasted. She had been one of the firsts to ask him when he was going to choose a consort, and one of the firsts to be rebuffed. Jareid knew he had told her the same thing as all the others: ‘ _I won’t be needing your services anymore. You have no more reason to come here._ ’ Were cats just stupid or what?

 

Saixa was the fifth cat, and the third female, to present herself in this way in his office. Jareid was seriously considering to just dismantle the bedroom. Saixa smiled lecherously at him and sprawled herself sensually along the bed.

 

“Why, waiting for you of course! Come on Jareid, you can’t tell me that you haven’t missed this.”

 

Honestly, he could. He had his tiger. Tygra may not be experienced, and truly didn’t act sensually around Jareid. He was young, still developing, and had too many emotional issues, but he was Jareid’s mate. _His_. In the jaguar prince’s mind that was all that mattered. Everyone else had been only entertainment, toys, to have fun and release his frustration. They had served their purpose. Jareid had never acknowledged them as partners, had never developed any kind of emotional connection with any one, they had never truly existed in his mind. Only Tygra was real.

 

The prince approached the bed and Saixa extended her arms to him. She eagerly clung to his neck as soon as he was within arms’ reach and kissed him passionately. Jareid was astounded for a moment. Then he scowled and growled. She didn’t taste right. The smell was also wrong. His instinct recoiled in repulsion. This was not his mate. She didn’t have his smell on her, not his mark of claim either. She was not good enough for him.

 

With a deeper growl, almost roar, that Saixa mistook for passion, he picked up the jaguaress and carried her outside the bedroom. The female laughed and tried to get her hands under his shirt.

 

“Oh, don’t you want the bed Jareid? Are we playing in your study today?”

 

“No. You’re out of here now!”

 

“What? You’re not serious!” Said her incredulously, her playful tone dying.

 

“I’m very serious! I told you not to come back! I don’t want any of you!”

 

“But, Jareid…!”

 

They reached the front door. The prince quickly opened it, and unceremoniously dropped the female on the hall. She yelled in outrage.

 

“How dare you! You can’t dismiss me like this! I know many things about you Jareid!”

 

“So everyone else! Tygra included! So don’t even think you can hold any information over my head!”

 

“You’d get tired of the boy eventually Jareid! You will! Sooner or later you’re going to be looking for someone who can give you what you want!”

 

“I’ve already found what I want Saixa, and I don’t need what you have to offer anymore!”

 

He closed the door in her face, leaving her seething in fury.

 

“We’d see about that Jareid. We’d see!”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra took a quick shower in the barracks. He was pretty upset that it had been his last day in active training. He was going to surgery the next day, and would be out of commission until the High Shaman considered that he could rejoin his normal activities.

 

The tiger sighed as he finished his shower. He was nervous about the surgery. Bengali had told him to relax and let the shamans do the worrying, but he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t stop thinking about a myriad of things that could go wrong. Why had he accepted to do this again?

 

He grunted and he started to get dressed. He was so worried that he didn’t register the fact that someone was watching him. He just got his trousers on when he finally heard steps too close to him. He turned around and found himself face to chin with an older jaguar. He looked slightly up and blinked a few times before he recognized the feline. This was Mao. The one that was always complaining about Jareid choosing a partner that was not him. Tygra gave a step back and bared his teeth. He didn’t like the other male so close to his person.

 

“What do you want?”

 

Mao made a gesture of derision and looked at the tiger up and down. Tygra felt his cheeks colouring.

 

“You have a good enough body, I’d give you that. But you’re still a brat. What can he possibly see in you?”

 

Tygra growled and clenched his fists. How much longer he’d have to listen to people throwing his age in his face. As if he didn’t already know that he was too young for Jareid! By the way some cats talked about it, you’d think that he’d never age past his adolescence!

 

“Not of your concern!”

 

“Well, I’d have to disagree with you. It’s very much my concern!”

 

There was not much space to make a run for it. Before Tygra could think about getting the hell out of there, Mao advanced on him. Tygra tried to dodge, but the jaguar practically launched himself at his body and locked arms around the tiger’s slender waist, pulling him down. Both cats struggled on the floor. Mao was older and stronger, but it took him a great deal of trouble to pin Tygra down like he wanted and grab the teen’s jaw. Tygra was still struggling to free himself. He was about to hit Mao’s face, when the jaguar forced his jaws open and kissed him.

 

Tygra froze at that moment. Panic and terror surged forward as Mao’s tongue ravished his open mouth. The tiger’s eyes widened and he stopped breathing. He couldn’t think. Every one of his muscles stiffened and he just lied there in utter and complete shock. Mao ended the kiss and growled, making a show of spitting away in disgust. Tygra couldn’t move. He couldn’t even utter a sound.

 

“Pathetic. And you reek of fear. But Jareid has always been a bit of a sadist. He might be finding you entertaining enough for now. He’d get tired of you eventually. You’re obviously just a weird fancy of his.”

 

He got off Tygra and walked away. The tiger stayed where he was, incapable to do anything in the middle of his panic attack.

 

_‘Breath… breath… he’s gone… breath…’_

 

He sucked in a mouthful of air and started coughing. His tense muscles ached like he had spent hours swimming in the river. He turned on his side and curled into a tight ball. It took some moments for his brain to start functioning again and process what had just happened.

 

For the great Thunder. What was he doing? He wanted to bang his head against the wall. He had had a panic attack! Why?! He had frozen over! He had been completely useless and incapable of defending himself!

 

He started to shiver uncontrollably and he cursed every jaguar that had ever walked Third Earth. He kneeled up, and spit, and before he knew it he was biting his left wrist and drawing blood. The coppery flavour returned him some of his senses and he bit harder. The pain made him focus, and he sucked at the blood like he was thirsty. Anything to erase the foul taste from his tongue.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra washed his mouth furiously and spit the water on the sink. The taste was still there, but he was already convinced that his mind was playing tricks on him. He threw away the piece of cloth he had used to bandage his mauled wrist and that was already soaked in blood. He fumbled in the medicine cabinet for antiseptic and washed his wound methodically. He was just opening the bottle of antiseptic when Jareid came barging into the bathroom.

 

“Tygra, are you in here?” The jaguar prince stopped and sniffed the air. Tygra started to tremble. “Is that blood I smell?”

 

In two steps Jareid was over his mate, looking in surprise at the injured wrist. He took it in his hand to examine it, and Tygra flinched. Jareid was no shaman, but he recognized a bite wound when he saw it.

 

“Did you do this Tygra?”

 

The tiger lowered his eyes in shame. Jareid took the antiseptic and the bandages and dragged the teen out of the bathroom.

 

“By the spirits, I should take you to Bengali.”

 

“No! Please, don’t tell him, I’m fine!”

 

Tygra begged in panic. He didn’t want to face the Shaman. He was ashamed enough as it was. Jareid looked at him accusingly.

 

“If you’re biting yourself, you’re obviously not fine! What happened?”

 

Tygra looked down again. He couldn’t tell Jareid what had happened. He didn’t want the jaguar to know that he had suffered a panic attack and had been unable to defend himself from one of Jareid’s past lovers. He didn’t want to say aloud that he had been lucky that Mao had been disgusted with him and had left him alone.

 

“Tygra?” Jareid prodded. He wanted an answer. Tygra had not harmed himself this badly in a while. The wrist was still bleeding a little and he had to make sure that there’d be no lasting damage. The tiger sighed in dejection.

 

“I just… I’m sorry. I’m too nervous because of the surgery, and today was my last in training for a while. I was upset, I didn’t think what I was doing…”

 

He begged to every deity he knew that Jareid believed that. He couldn’t tell his mate what had really happened. He just couldn’t. Jareid would see how useless and pathetic he was. He didn’t need to know.

 

The jaguar groaned and made Tygra sit on the bed. He cleaned the wound again, frowning at the ugly gash on it.

 

“This looks bad. You could have damaged a tendon. Bengali really should look at it.”

 

“No! I’m fine, I swear! Please! At least not right now.”

 

He wasn’t naïve enough to believe that Bengali wouldn’t notice his injury the very next day. He just wanted to calm down and had time to think a good enough excuse for the Shaman. Jareid didn’t look happy, but he caved at the desperation in Tygra’s voice.

 

“Fine. But you’re the one that’s explaining to him tomorrow why we didn’t inform him immediately.”

 

Tygra nodded, relieved that he didn’t have to confront the white tiger right away. Jareid treated his wrist and bandaged it tightly. Then he looked seriously at his mate.

 

“You have to stop doing this Tygra. It’s not healthy.”

 

“I know. I said I’m sorry, I…”

 

He bit his lip and sighed. Jareid took his chin and made him look at his eyes.

 

“Everything is going to be fine. The High Shaman knows what he’s doing. You’re going to be asleep and wouldn’t feel a thing.”

 

For a moment there was confusion in Tygra’s eyes, and then the teen remembered his own lame excuse for biting himself. He gulped and shook his head, so Jareid wouldn’t look directly at him.

 

“I know. It’s just that this is new for me. It feels so alien. I’m just afraid, that’s all.”

 

The last part wasn’t a lie. He was afraid. He had been absolutely terrified to have Mao over him, forcing his mouth open. He shivered reflexively and closed his eyes. He felt ashamed of himself.

 

“I’m sorry.” He finished quietly.

 

Jareid embraced him and moved his face up again. Lips closed over Tygra’s mouth and Jareid’s tongue was battling its way in. Tygra gasped. He opened mouth and eyes in reflex, trembling in fear. But the taste was the right one this time. This was his mate. He stubbornly put his racing heart under control and let Jareid manoeuvre them both to lie on the bed. Soon the kisses trailed down his jaw and ended with a suck to his neck. The tiger whimpered, holding onto his mate’s shoulders for dear life.

 

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re strong, and I’m going to be here with you. I’m never leaving you.”

 

Gods. If that were only true.

 

“Please…”

 

He didn’t know what he was begging for. It was very hard to think with Jareid over him. Expert hands started to rid him of his clothes and Tygra let his mate erase his worries for a short time, willing to forget.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Bengali was absolutely livid when he saw Tygra’s mauled wrist. Jareid had been dismissed almost immediately with no regard for his protests, and the white tiger sat his patient on an examination table. Tygra was fidgeting in embarrassment as Bengali muttered under his breath and performed a more adequate healing spell for his wound. Once he felt satisfied that there hadn’t been any irreparable damage he redressed the wound and looked directly at the young tiger in front of him.

 

“Do I even want to know what Jareid did this time?” He asked sternly. Tygra blinked twice in surprise.

 

“Jareid? No! I mean, this wasn’t his fault. Honest!”

 

Bengali looked at him with incredulity and Tygra felt even more ashamed. With a sigh he lowered his eyes and told Bengali what had really happened. He had been wary to tell the truth, but had reasoned that Ben was not easily fooled. He would just prod until he knew what exactly had happened. There’d be less pain involved if Tygra confessed from the beginning. When he finished he kept his eyes down, fully expecting to be told that he had overreacted. Ben though kept silent for a moment before grabbing the teen’s chin gently and push it up.

 

“Nothing else happened? He didn’t hurt you?”

 

Tygra shook his head in negation. Bengali nodded.

 

“You didn’t tell any of this to Jareid?”

 

Another negation, and Tygra’s cheeks coloured a little.

 

“I told him I was too nervous because of the surgery. I didn’t want him to know.”

 

He felt ashamed, but Bengali messed his mane affectionately.

 

“It’s ok. We’d leave it like that.”

 

Truth was, Bengali was relieved. He didn’t fancy to have to explain why the courtyards were littered with body parts. In this case it was better to keep Jareid in the dark. Tygra sighed dejectedly.

 

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again…”

 

“Hey, don’t worry. This wasn’t your fault. You were having a panic attack. That’s not something you can control.”

 

Tygra scowled uncomfortably.

 

“But… when I’m with Jareid I can. I’m able to push the panic back then.”

 

“Well, that’s a different situation. You have instinctually identified Jareid as your mate. Your dominant in fact. Besides, you once told me that he can distinguish the beginning of your panic attacks and help you in some way to get a hold of yourself. You’re not alone against utter terror when you are with Jareid.”

 

Tygra scoffed and shook his head incredulously.

 

“That’s such a contradiction. Especially considering that he’s the cause of the panic attacks in the first place.”

 

Bengali smiled ruefully and put a hand on the youth’s shoulder.

 

“The mind can be like that. I wish he hadn’t done what he did, but wishful thinking is not going to help now. We must focus on what to do to minimize the risk of more panic attacks.”

 

Tygra sighed and nodded. Ben’s smile grew more honest.

 

“Good. I’m going to report Mao, so he would be watched.”

 

Tygra’s ears flattened.

 

“Wha… I don’t think that’d be necessary. He didn’t hurt me. He only took me by surprise. It was my body the one that overreacted.”

 

Bengali silenced the teen with a serious look.

 

“Don’t think like that Tygra. Regardless of your reaction, he had no right to approach you in that way. It was a direct threat. Such improper behaviour should be addressed in some way.”

 

Tygra growled in frustration. He didn’t want anyone to know what had happened. What would they think of him? They’d believe that he wasn’t capable of taking care of himself!

 

Bengali looked at the teen and put a hand on his arm.

 

“Don’t worry. No one is going to think any less of you. I’d only report that I have seen Mao acting suspiciously around you, that way the Head of the Hunters is going to keep an eye on him. If he attacks you again there’d be someone close by to help if needed.”

 

That erased some of Tygra’s fears, but it didn’t lessen the feeling of uselessness that had taken hold of him. He shouldn’t need any help!

 

Bengali sighed and lifted his chin carefully.

 

“I know you feel upset over this, but Tygra you’re still sixteen. No one is expecting you to solve every single one of your problems alone. You can rely on others. You can ask for help when you need it.”

 

Tygra half smiled. He had grown up being the oldest. The best. The one that couldn’t make a mistake. He had had to be an example for Lion-O. He was supposed to be the one to provide help, not ask for it. Forcing himself to accept Jareid as his dominant had been the hardest thing he had ever done. He nodded resignedly to Bengali, but felt the need to point out that he didn’t want to be treated like a cub. Bengali smiled and told him that there would be nothing of the like.

 

“However, I’m moving your surgery for tomorrow.” He said, as he unlocked the door of the clinic, so Jareid could enter again. Tygra made a face at him.

 

“Why? I’m fine. It’s not a life-threatening injury!”

 

“I know, but we are taking every little precaution we can with you. I want you as relaxed as possible for this.”

 

“You know, I’m not likely to ever relax if I have to wait longer.”

 

“I agree with that.” Said Jareid entering the clinic, a bit miffed that he had been left outside for more than a couple of minutes. “Seriously Ben, he doesn’t need to be coddled. He’s not a cub.”

 

“I know he’s not. But waiting another day is not going to hurt him. This is going to be a very delicate intervention and Tygra needs to be at his best physical condition. We are not taking any chances, however small they seem.”

 

The couple scowled, not fully convinced. Ben smiled at their faces.

 

“Besides, it’s a really nice day. I bet that Lion-O and Yeana would love to visit the pond. Nothing like a good swim to get relaxed! And I think Tygra has the day free anyway.”

 

The orange tiger frowned, but Jareid smirked and grabbed his young mate’s hand. He was not going to pass over a rather obvious hint to take Tygra out of the palace.

 

“I’m sure that the two brats would not mind if we leave them behind this time. Come my tiger. He’s right, a long soak would do a lot of good to you.”

 

Tygra tried to protest, but Jareid didn’t listen to him. He dragged the young tiger out of the clinic, looking forwards to just spending the day with his mate.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Despite Jareid’s intentions, Lion-O and Yeana caught the couple sneaking out of the palace and walking towards one of the gates that lead to the jungle. Of course they insisted on going too, and Yeana threatened Jareid with crying and not talking to him again if he didn’t take her. Jareid growled menacingly at the kittens, but he ended up accepting theirs, and Snarf’s, company. Tygra was amused at the pout on Jareid’s face, which stayed for most of their walk through the jungle.

 

There was a system of caves about two miles to the northwest of the city. Going down through them ran a subterranean river. The waters flowered up on certain spaces and formed what the jaguars called ‘cenotes’, deep ponds of frigid water, usually found close to the caverns or even inside them. The entire place was considered sacred, and the shamans used to go there to meditate and practice certain rituals. What was called “The Pond” was actually the smallest of the cenotes, with only a hundred meters of diameter. It was some metres apart from the caves, and surrounded by vegetation. As it was technically at the surface, the water wasn’t extremely cold, but still good to freshen up.

 

Both Lion-O and Tygra had loved the place from the first time that Bengali had taken them there. Tygra especially, as he absolutely enjoyed the water. As soon as they arrived, the two kittens barely waited to be out of their clothes and down to their underwear to dive in. Tygra and Jareid followed at a more sedated pace. Soon, all four of them were happily playing in the water, being watched from a tree by a skittish Snarf, who thought that he’d rather stay dry.

 

Lion-O spied Tygra’s bandaged wrist and asked his brother what had happened. The tiger told him that he had hurt himself on his last day of training. Which wasn’t a lie. He only wasn’t very forthcoming with the details. Luckily Lion-O was having too much fun to continue pestering his brother, and he left the matter alone.

 

After a few hours, they ate the lunch that Bengali had sent them with one of the servants, and the two kits set themselves to explore a little before attempting to head right back to the water. Jareid took Tygra to a more open space where they could have a bit of practice. Tygra was not sure it was a good idea.

 

“I don’t know Jareid, you always end up pushing me over the closest available surface and… well, you know…”

 

“Have my way with you?”

 

Tygra growled and blushed in mortification, nodding shamefully at the same time. Jareid’s eyes sparkled and he took Tygra by the nape of the neck, forcing the tiger to look at his not so pleased smirk.

 

“Is that a problem my tiger?”

 

Tygra bared his teeth. He felt so helpless when Jareid manhandled him.

 

“It is when we’re not alone. Lion-O and Yeana could hear us, maybe get curious.”

 

Jareid’s gesture became lecherous and he kissed Tygra before the teen could protest.

 

“They can look the other way. Besides, they are entertained enough, I doubt they’d come looking for us.”

 

Tygra growled, but in the end caved to Jareid’s wishes and took out his staff and whip from the backpack they had carried. He did want some exercise, and training with Jareid was not the horrible experience it had once been. Tygra still lost their impromptu combats, but he was getting better, and lasting more. Once he reached his full growth, he and Jareid would be evenly matched.

 

Tygra put himself on guard, and waited for the first blow. Jareid’s favourite weapon was a sansetsukon, a three sectional staff made of wood and metal. He could do a lot of damage with it, and Tygra was very conscious that Jareid controlled his attack when they were training. The tiger compensated his lack of strength with agility. He had become proficient at using the whip to his advantage. Though he still had some difficulty coordinating both weapons, he was slowly developing his own combat style.

 

He started with only the staff, his whip within reach in the belt of his trousers. Jareid charged at him and Tygra jumped out of the way, turned around and delivered his own hit. The jaguar stopped it and released his weapon. Tygra used the trees to jump out of reach, and attack from above. There wasn’t an ample space for him to manoeuvre, but Tygra had had a year to get used to the jungle and now he could fight in it decently. The closeness of the trees and abundant vegetation were no longer a hindrance for him, on the contrary, he had found out that he could use his whip creatively there. But he still found himself struggling in close combat, especially with Jareid. So, he tried to keep his distance, attack quickly and avoid being hit or having to stop a direct blow from the sansetsukon. If Jareid could get a hold of him, the game was over.

 

The jaguar followed his elusive mate up the trees and sent hits to the branches, trying to make Tygra lose his balance. The teen went down, but managed to turn and stop the sansetsukon from tangling around his leg. He used his momentum to pull himself back on another branch and hit Jareid’s knees. The jaguar sent a blow aiming for Tygra’s head. The youth ducked and sent his own hit.

 

They were at it for some time, until Tygra got out his whip and used it to swing from one tree to the other. Jareid attempted to hit him in passing, but Tygra was prepared. His whip let go of the branch and the tiger’s staff collided with Jareid’s weapon, tangling itself in it. The whip flew to another branch and Tygra pushed with all his strength. Jareid had to jump to the ground, but he recovered quickly and threw a blow that reached the tiger’s arm. Tygra jumped down, and Jareid hit again. The youth barely had time to bounce and put the staff in front of him, at the same time he tangled the whip around himself to have better control of his primary weapon. Jareid was going to reach the tiger and was putting most of his strength behind the blow, but suddenly Tygra disappeared.

 

Jareid froze in the spot, utterly baffled. His ears turned back a second too late and Tygra’s staff hit his back with force, and then swap his legs from under him. He lost his balance and turned around to fall on his back, lifting the sansetsukon just in time to stop a blow. He blinked in confusion. He could feel Tygra’s body over him, but he couldn’t see him. The teen hesitated, surprised to have the upper hand for once. Jareid recovered and let go of his weapon to reach out towards where Tygra should be. He got hold of the teen’s arms, and heard a loud yelp. The jaguar rolled, and just as suddenly, Tygra blinked back into existence under him. The staff and the sansetsukon were between them, and the whip hung loosely from Tygra’s hips. The look of utter surprise on the tiger’s face would have been priceless if Jareid didn’t feel as confused as he was.

 

“What did you do?”

 

Tygra blinked and breathed deeply once.

 

“Unh… I jumped behind you, and you froze? I just continued fighting…”

 

“No! Before that! You don’t have the chameleon suit, how did you disappear?”

 

Tygra was astonished.

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

Jareid growled lowly.

 

“You disappeared from sight! I was confused for a moment before I sensed where you had gone to.”

 

The tiger frowned in confusion and shook his head.

 

“I… I don’t know… I just needed both hands on the staff and…” Suddenly his face lit up in comprehension.

 

“Oh.”

 

“What?”

 

“The whip. When Jaga gave it to me, he explained that the stones at the end could create the illusion of invisibility. He said that it would take some time for me to master that ability. I must have activated the stones somehow.”

 

Jareid lifted an eyebrow and then his smirk returned.

 

“Well, that’s useful. You’re becoming more of a challenge each day.”

 

He then proceeded to snog Tygra senseless. The adrenaline of the fight had not gone away yet. The tiger whimpered under him, and Jareid’s hands moved to put the weapons aside. He hesitated with the whip that was stuck around Tygra’s waist. He needed to move the tiger to untangle the whip, so instead of that he grabbed Tygra’s wrists and pulled them at the teen’s back, using one end of the whip to secure them. Tygra moaned a protest in his mouth and tried to roll over, but Jareid didn’t let go of him. The jaguar ended the kiss only to bite Tygra’s neck while his hands started to rid the young tiger of his trousers.

 

“Aaaw… Jareid! … Ow… release me!”

 

“Now, how can I have my wicked way with you if you keep struggling?”

 

The trousers were gone and Tygra was naked and at Jareid’s mercy. The jaguar put his own pants down and worked himself into a half erection. He lifted Tygra’s left leg and leaned down over his mate’s privates, licking and nibbling softly, teasing the sensitive skin. Tygra shivered and moaned, getting aroused despite himself. He tried to relax. It always hurt when Jareid penetrated him. The pain was even more when they had been training and the jaguar was just too excited to prepare him properly. Tygra had learned to relax his inner muscles, to make Jareid’s initial thrusts easier for himself. The jaguar was always careful to give him pleasure too, but the pain seemed to be forever present.

 

Tygra gasped when Jareid pushed two fingers inside him to help loosing up his entrance. The jaguar had his left leg firmly held by the back of the knee and was keeping him open that way. The tiger moaned loudly and arched his back when his mate’s fingers brushed over his prostate, teasing him mercilessly. After a few strokes, the fingers were gone and Jareid leaned over him, pushing his leg up at the same time. Tygra pulled up his other leg in reflex, leaving himself quite vulnerable.

 

Jareid lost no more time, his hips thrust forwards and Tygra gasped in pain at the intrusion. Closing his eyes, the tiger breathed and forced his body to accept his mate’s entire length inside himself. Once fully seated, Jareid waited for Tygra to adjust while kissing and caressing the rest of his body. When the tiger’s breath was more or less regular, Jareid started to move. Slowly this time. He was in no hurry, and he wanted to enjoy the feeling of his mate around him.

 

Tygra was confused at first. It was not like Jareid to be so calm after a training session. But then his mate’s hands and mouth roamed over his torso and started to touch and do wonderful things, and Tygra forgot his confusion and lost himself in the sensation.

 

After a while, Jareid decided to change position, and grabbing Tygra’s hips, he rolled over, so his tiger was on top of his chest. A big tree root was on his way, so he had to manoeuvre a little and ended up leaning against the tree trunk with Tygra sitting on him, still fully impaled and fighting to keep his balance with his wrists tied at his back. Jareid released Tygra’s bonds, so the teen could support himself on the jaguar’s shoulders. Tygra looked up at him, confused by the change in position. Jareid only smirked and moved the tiger’s hips up and down, encouraging the youth to continue fucking himself. Tygra’s cheeks were bright red. He did as Jareid wanted and soon was moaning again, after finding the right angle to stimulate his prostate. He kept one hand on Jareid’s shoulder and with the other he worked on his own erection. The jaguar didn’t stop him. He was very much enjoying the view.

 

The jaguar’s hands on Tygra’s hips kept the slow pace for as long as it took for both of them to reach their peaks. Tygra was there first, and he moaned loudly as his inner muscles contracted, sending Jareid over the edge. Tygra growled, riding his orgasm, and leaned over Jareid’s chest. He burrowed his face in the juncture of the jaguar’s neck and shoulder and without warning he bit down. Jareid growled, and one hand fisted on the tiger’s short mane. Tygra sucked and bit harder than the first time, leaving a more noticeable mark. Then, he licked and relaxed on his mate’s body.

 

“… mine…” He said quietly.

 

Jareid continued caressing the young body over him for long minutes, not quite sure of what had happened, but feeling too content to care.

 

They returned to the pond after they recovered their senses enough to walk. Lion-O sniffed his brother when they got close and made a disgusted face while groaning in despair. Yeana was not so subtle.

 

“Jareid! You both stink! What did you do?”

 

The male jaguar laughed uproariously and Tygra blushed deep red. Lion-O was old enough to identify the smell on his brother, but Yeana’s instincts were not yet at the appropriate stage. Jareid messed his sister’s long mane, making her bat her arms to shoo him.

 

“We just got a bit overzealous in training.” He said amused. Tygra huffed and muttered something under his breath. Jareid just chuckled.

 

“One last dive and we can head back to the palace.”

 

The kits yelled happily and ran to the pond, going head first into the water. Tygra followed close, not wanting to advertise to the entire palace what they had been doing.

 

Jareid smiled at the three younger cats playing happily and touched the side of his neck gingerly. With a last sigh, he decided that he really didn’t mind Tygra biting him, and he joined the trio in the water.

 

They returned to the city just before dusk, in time for the kits to dinner and fall asleep. Tygra took his brother to his room, and then walked to his own quarters, feeling surprisingly relaxed and ready to fall dead on his bed.

 


	13. The Problems in Creating a Cub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as rape and sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  

 

  

Jareid paced up and down the hall in front of the surgery room in agitation, growling from time to time. He hated waiting. It didn’t help that the High Shaman had informed him that he wasn’t going to be allowed to take Tygra to his den when the intervention was finished. The tiger had to stay in the Shamans’ wing at least one night to be monitored, and for the Shamans to be relatively sure that his body was adjusting to the new addition.

 

Jareid had always been more instinctual than your average cat. He tended to be primal, and as such he was a loner and more territorial than the rest of the palace’s inhabitants. He absolutely didn’t like the idea of his mate technically recovering from an injury in any place that was not their private rooms. He had protested to the High Shaman loudly, but the cat hadn’t caved. Tygra was staying in a room within the Shamans’ wing and that was final.

 

Jareid growled again and was about to start another circuit around the hall when female paws caught his right arm. He turned to his mother, who was sitting on a chair against the wall and looking amusedly at him. Lion-O was at her side, playing with Snarf to kill time.

 

“Come on my son. Sit with us for a while. Your tiger is going to be fine. The shamans know what they are doing.”

 

“They better!” He growled under his breath, and then sighed at his mother’s raised eyebrow. “I’m sorry mother. I don’t think I can sit still. I wish they’d hurry up.”

 

“You know this is not something you can simply hurry up. This is delicate, and they have to see to Tygra’s well-being at every moment.”

 

Jareid groaned and passed a hand through his mane.

 

“I know, I know. But my nerves are on end. I want to take him home as soon as possible.”

 

Lion-O scowled. Jareid’s use of the word ‘home’ always confused him. It had taken sometime to realize that the jaguar prince used the word primarily to refer to his own set of rooms, and secondarily to the palace. Jareid considered his rooms _his_ territory, and so they were more ‘home’ to him than the rest of the palace, which was his father’s domain. Xilara only smiled.

 

“Come here.”

 

She pulled Jareid to her side and made him sit down on a chair. The unhappy jaguar was still growling.

 

“Now, stop being paranoid. Your mate is going to be treated with all the attention required for his health. Tomorrow at this time you’d have him in your rooms, making sure that he’s fine.”

 

Jareid nodded and looked towards the operation room’s door. In five minutes he was up and pacing again. Xilara smiled in fond exasperation, and Lion-O really wanted to imitate him. By the lion’s standards they were taking too long. He wanted to be sure that his brother was ok and that nothing had gone wrong with the surgery.

 

Eventually, Bengali poked his head out of the room to see if it was safe to move Tygra. Jareid was instantly over him, asking a barrage of questions and demanding to see his mate. Xilara had a hard time pulling him back before he decided to jump over Bengali and invade the operation room. Lion-O didn’t know if he should laugh or be equally worried and try to get information about his brother.

 

Fortunately, Baal arrived at that moment. He put his son under control long enough for Bengali to give his report. Then he had to hold Jareid back while the Shamans moved his still unconscious mate to a recovery room. He didn’t stop his prince from joining Tygra in said room, but he instructed him to let the Shamans do their job and not take Tygra anywhere until the High Shaman said he could do it. Jareid growled unhappily, but nodded at his father and went in search of Tygra. Xilara and Lion-O went with him, both wanting to make sure that the tiger was fine and that Jareid was not going to do something stupid.

 

Baal sighed and turned to the High Shaman who was watching Jareid’s back with a serious expression.

 

“So, everything really in order? Did Bengali leave something out?”

 

“No. Tygra should be fine. The surgery went over without complications. It’s your son the one I’m worried about Baal. He must have more self-control. Having a mate has helped a lot, but now that Tygra is going to be out of sorts and hurting, we should do something to ensure that Jareid is not going to let his anger take hold of his actions again. I don’t want any tragedies.”

 

“There’s not going to be any. Jareid is fine. Is perfectly normal for him to worry about his mate.”

 

“Yes, but he exaggerates! Baal, you know that the intensity of Jareid’s responses is not normal. He loses all control over his instinct and acts like a wild animal. He doesn’t know where to draw the limit between reason and the pull of instinct.”

 

“He’s going to behave! You, along the rest of the council, agreed that he’s acting differently. That it was fine to let him handle more of his royal duties. He’s not doing a bad job. Besides, if he really were letting instinct to rule his actions, he’d have a full-fledged harem by now! Our wild ancestors didn’t choose life-partners, they only reproduced and that was all there was.”

 

“That’s true, and I’m really happy that your son is on the right path on that aspect. Finally. It certainly took him a while.”

 

Baal growled under his breath. Jareid had given everybody too much work over the years. The king didn’t like to be reminded of it. What was the point? His son was changing for the better. He didn’t really care to know how it had happened, only that it had. The only thing he wanted to know was what to do to keep it that way, and for Jareid to not go back to his previous behaviour. Xiar sighed and kept talking.

 

“Look, I know that you don’t like to be reminded of Jareid’s past misgivings. But it’d be a mistake to just forget they happened. Jareid has not changed that much, Baal. He just moved his focus. He’s putting his energy to better use, but the anger, the impulsiveness and utter disregard of everyone else’s needs are still there. We should be wary of the moment they decide to resurface.”

 

Baal gritted his teeth, but he didn’t answer. He just nodded and left to follow his family into the recovery room. He didn’t want to give much importance to the Shaman’s concerns. His son was fine. He had his quirks and acted impulsively most of the time, but he was controlling himself. He didn’t need to worry about his son.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jaried looked attentively as Bengali and a female shaman, whose name he didn’t care to know, connected the machine that would keep track of Tygra’s vitals. Lion-O asked a few questions concerning the surgery and how to read the signals the machine provided. He was only half-listening. He was busy staying quiet and preventing himself from grabbing Tygra and took off with him to their room. It helped that Bengali was the one tending to the younger tiger. Jareid knew that he wouldn’t have tolerated any one else close to his mate when the teen was so vulnerable.

 

The female went out of the room as soon as Tygra was resting comfortably and hooked to the machine. Bengali stayed longer to answer Lion-O’s questions. Jareid started to relax. The room smelled of antiseptic and it wasn’t his den, but at least it was private and there was only family inside.

 

Xilara and Lion-O were sitting on a couch in front of the bed with Bengali on a chair at their side. They were quietly talking about Tygra and what to expect during the following months.

 

The prince was ready to approach his mate and sit beside the bed. He needed to touch Tygra, to make sure that he was fine. He was only wary of the cats that were still with them, even if they were family. Baal entered the room, and Jareid turned towards him, already growling, until he realized it was his father. He relaxed again and Baal put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Everything all right, Jareid?”

 

The prince nodded, not trusting his voice. He was still too put out. He would have preferred to be alone with Tygra. Baal noticed that Jareid was tense and most likely wanting to go to his tiger.

 

“Relax son. He’s fine. Everything went smoothly and he’d wake up soon.”

 

Jareid sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, not knowing what to do with himself.

 

“I know. I’m trying to be calm. It’s difficult when I can’t smell him very well and he’s unresponsive.”

 

“Nothing is going to happen to him. I know it’s not easy to let others attend to your mate’s health, but you have to have in mind that they know their job. Trust them Jareid, they are not going to let you down.”

 

Jareid narrowed his eyes and looked towards the group happily talking in the corner. He trusted Bengali. The white tiger was his friend and had proved to be very reliable and protective when it came to Tygra, but others…

 

Jareid knew he had to trust the cats that were there to help him in his future role as head and king of his clan. He knew that, rationally. But he just couldn’t make himself do it. There had been things that had shown him how very little the cats around him cared for anything but themselves. And there were things he could not forget… or forgive.

 

He sighed. He didn’t want to disappoint his father. He just couldn’t help how he felt. Still, he nodded firmly, because he knew that his father needed to be assured that he understood. Baal’s gesture softened almost imperceptibly and then he spotted the mark on Jareid’s neck. It was very light, and hidden by the fur and his son’s clothes, but it was there, Baal couldn’t be mistaken. The king lifted his hand towards the marked spot and Jareid’s own hurriedly covered it. The jaguar prince turned to look at his father with apprehension and found him smiling.

 

“So, how long have you sported his mark?”

 

Jareid shrugged, trying to hide his discomfiture.

 

“A couple of days. It’s not a big deal.”

 

If it had been anyone else, Baal would have dismissed the incident. Every couple carried mutual marks of claiming. It was a signal to other cats that they belonged with each other. But this was Jareid. The prince had never before let anyone mark him. The mark on the neck was also a sign of dominance and Jareid had never allowed anyone, apart from his father, to mess with his neck. That Tygra had bitten him, well, that was most significant.

 

“It is, my son. You two are a real couple now.”

 

Jareid looked taken aback for a moment, and then his face took in a soft gesture that Baal had never seen before on his son’s face. The prince inclined his head and went to sit at Tygra’s bedside quietly. Xilara noticed, and raised an eyebrow in question at her mate. Baal only smiled proudly at his son and went to stand by his queen’s side. Xiar could think what he wanted. Baal knew that his son was on the right path.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra woke up in the afternoon, feeling incredibly disoriented. Jareid was playing with his mane and muttering a song under his breath. Tygra moved his head to ask what was going on and his brother’s face poked in his line of view. The lion made a happy sound and ran for Bengali. Jareid’s hand stopped its motion and the jaguar asked how he was feeling.

 

Tygra blinked. He wasn’t sure of how he was feeling. He tried to talk and his tongue stuck at the roof of his mouth. Jareid helped him to lift his head a bit and offered him a glass of water. The tiger drank a couple of mouthfuls and then felt better. Bengali entered at that moment and shooed Jareid away with some difficulty to check up his patient.

 

After some questions and prodding with shaman’s magic, Bengali concluded that everything was running out smoothly. He disconnected Tygra from the machine that had been monitoring him and gave him some pills and an injection. He instructed the tiger to avoid sudden or forced movements. His thoracic muscles were strained a bit and would not take kindly to any stress on his part. The white tiger assured him that he’d heal quickly and he’d only need to stay in observation for the night. Jareid contented himself with the promise that he’d be able to take his mate to his own bedroom the next day and took mental note of the medicines and attentions that Tygra would need.

 

Lion-O hugged his brother’s shoulders, happy that the tiger was having a fast recovery, and then accompanied Bengali out of the room to give Tygra the chance to rest more. Ben promised to send something to eat shortly and left the couple alone. He knew that Jareid was barely restraining from checking the young tiger himself.

 

Indeed, as soon as the door closed after the Shaman, Jareid practically pounced on Tygra, moving the light sheets aside and sniffing every part of the tiger’s body, starting with his stomach. Tygra rolled his eyes in exasperation and tried unsuccessfully to push Jareid from him.

 

“Jareid! Please, I’m fine! There’s no need for you to exaggerate!”

 

He tried to laugh, but it was very painful, so he settled for a groan. Jareid ignored his protest and put his hands on Tygra’s flanks, carefully stroking the fur and making sure that the tiger’s body was still in one piece. He pushed Tygra slightly, making room for him to cuddle against the youth. He sucked and bit the teen’s neck and his hands continued roaming over the rest of his mate’s body, avoiding the bandaged patch on Tygra’s navel. The teen sighed resignedly as Jareid started to groom his face and head.

 

“You know, I’m not on my death bed here. You were the one who wanted me to do this! Why are you so anxious?”

 

He received a desperate kiss in answer and he started to worry. Perhaps there was something wrong after all? But Jareid’s next words convinced him that his mate was just mental and was trying to reassure himself.

 

“Let me be. I’ve been dying to have you in my arms from the moment you were out of surgery, but there were other people in here with us, and your stubborn brother refused to go away until you waked up.”

 

He continued kissing Tygra’s face and head. The tiger didn’t know if he should be relieved that Jareid had waited until they were alone to do what he was doing, or worried by the intensity of the jaguar’s reaction. He remembered when his leg had been shredded by a harpoon and shuddered at the memory of what his mate had done on that occasion. He was suddenly grateful that all of this having cubs deal had been technically Baal’s fault. If something went wrong Tygra was so going to place the blame on the king.

 

Jareid was calming down and trying to curl around Tygra without affecting the surgery wound. The youth sighed and held onto his mate’s body, trying to cuddle as much as he could.

 

“I’m fine. And you promised you were not going to go overprotective.”

 

“I did no such thing. I promised I’d be on my best behaviour, and I consider I was very patient with your brother. The brat should be grateful that I tolerated him here.”

 

Tygra groaned and leant his head on Jareid’s shoulder. He breathed deeply, grudgingly accepting that Jareid’s smell was better than the sterilized one of the room.

 

“You really should do something about that obsession with me Jareid. It’s starting to be creepy.”

 

Jareid chuckled and tightened his embrace.

 

“I don’t see any problem with my obsessing over you. I’m quite happy having you entirely for me.”

 

Tygra huffed.

 

“Of course, _you_ don’t see a problem. Smartass.”

 

The jaguar chuckled again and continued kissing Tygra’s head sporadically. They remained like that until Bengali irrupted in the room again to bring them food.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The next day, early in the morning, Bengali made a final check up on Tygra and declared he could leave the Shamans’ wing. No sooner the words were pronounced than Jareid lifted Tygra from the bed to the utter embarrassment of said tiger.

 

“Jareid! Put me down! No one told you to bloody carry me!”

 

“Oh, shush Tygra. It’s easier this way. Besides, Bengali has just said that you are to rest as much as possible.”

 

“He didn’t mean that I have to stay off my feet the entire time!”

 

Bengali coughed discretely.

 

“Actually, I’d prefer that you avoid doing any type of exercise for today. You can be up again tomorrow and start moving normally around then.”

 

Tygra gaped incredulously at the Shaman, and Jareid smirked triumphantly.

 

“Ha! Shaman’s orders my tiger! You have no room to complain!”

 

“Ben! You traitor!”

 

“I’m sorry Tygra, but I want your wound to heal properly without any risk of infection, and as fast as possible. Tomorrow I’d give you a set of exercises to help your thoracic muscles to readjust, but today you are bedridden for all intents and purposes.”

 

“Beeeen!”

 

Tygra whined and Jareid chuckled in amusement.

 

“Come my tiger. You’d be all healed in no time!”

 

He promptly walked out of the room, taking his mate to their private quarters.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra sighed contently as he showered. He let the water damp his fur and slide down his body. The past two days had been a nightmare. Jareid wouldn’t let him do anything! He didn’t want to know how it was going to be when he’d get pregnant. Right at the moment his mate had gone away because there was only too much work that he could do from his private study. Jareid couldn’t just ignore his responsibilities, as much as he’d want to, so he had had to see the commander and solve certain issues personally. He had ordered Tygra to stay in the room and not do anything strenuous. Honestly! As if he was going to fall from exhaustion from just walk from the bed to the bathroom! He was going to have a serious talk with his mate. He was not going to survive the pregnancy if Jareid continued to treat him like he had some kind of disability.

 

Tygra sighed. Jareid had been very anxious and wanted to keep Tygra on sight every moment. The young tiger didn’t know what to do to calm his mate. He gingerly touched the patch of exposed skin on his navel. The wound hadn’t given him any trouble, but he felt very weird. He had the subtle feeling that he had eaten too much and was full inside. He wasn’t hurting, but it wasn’t exactly pleasant either.

 

With a groan he finished his shower and walked to the changing room. He only put on a pair of forest green trousers and returned to the bedroom, just in time as Jareid entered by the arch to the study, almost out of breath.

 

“Tygra! What are you…?”

 

“Calm down, would you? I only took a shower, I’m not about to die!”

 

Jareid bristled and approached his mate with fast steps. Tygra felt threatened and growled, lifting his arms to try and stop Jareid from crowding him. Thankfully, the jaguar stopped at arms reach and narrowed his eyes.

 

“Tygra…”

 

“Look, I’m not a cub, all right? I can get up from the bloody bed and walk! You don’t need to be hovering over me every single minute of the day!”

 

Jareid blinked, somewhat baffled at Tygra’s outburst. Then he ran his fingers through his short mane and sighed.

 

“You need to rest.” He stated. “I don’t want you to stress yourself.”

 

“Well, I’m getting stressed from doing nothing! I can’t be lying down the entire day Jareid! I don’t have some weird terminal illness. You wanted me to do this! If I’m going to be carrying any cubs…!”

 

“I know!” The jaguar interrupted with a growl and Tygra automatically shut up and lowered his eyes, but he was still growling lowly. Jareid touched his cheek with his knuckles.

 

“Look, I know. It’s just hard to fight my instinct. I didn’t count on my own reaction to you being ‘hurt’. I have to keep telling myself that you are fine.”

 

Tygra calmed down enough to stop growling. He leaned on Jareid’s touch and held his mate’s hand close. He wasn’t sure how or when it happened, but he needed the jaguar’s caresses to feel reassured.

 

“I’m fine. I know everyone sees me too young. I am too young, but I can take care of myself. I believe it was you the one who was insisting to Bengali that I am strong enough to carry on with this.”

 

Jareid chuckled and closed the short space that still remained between him and the tiger.

 

“I was. I’d have to remember it myself.”

 

A rueful smile crossed Tygra’s lips and he leaned on his mate’s shoulder.

 

“I don’t like to feel useless, that’s all I ask. I chose to do this. I’m still not sure why I did it, but I chose to stay here with you.” He touched his navel and sighed. “Maybe I just want something of my own. Something to belong to.”

 

A strong arm surrounded his shoulders and Jareid kissed his forehead tenderly.

 

“You belong with me. My tiger. I’m never letting you go.”

 

Tygra sighed and allowed himself to believe that for the moment.

 

“Now, I suppose that you’d want to go and have lunch in the dinning room?”

 

Tygra’s ears perked up and he hurried to the closet to grab a shirt.

 

“Of course! What are we waiting for?”

 

Jareid chuckled in amusement and tried to control the impulse to carry Tygra out of the rooms.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The next week passed without much trouble. Tygra was getting incredibly bored and had taken to go see his brother’s training and help Jareid with paperwork. He soon was acquainted with the routines and moves of the royal guard and reading all he could on strategies and regulations. At the end of the week, the High Shaman declared that the surgery had been a success and, as no health problem had arisen and his body hadn’t given any indication to be rejecting the womb, it was deemed safe to start with the hormonal treatment.

 

Bengali explained what Tygra would have to expect and suggested to report even the smallest discomfort that the tiger could feel. The youth wasn’t fond of the idea, but he knew that Bengali needed to be aware of every reaction of his body in order to solve any problem that could arise on time.

 

Thankfully, Jareid had calmed down. With no visible wound on Tygra’s body and the teen practically staying in his own private study, Jareid’s exuberant possessiveness had toned down. Bengali was only worried of how Jareid’s instinct was going to interpret the sudden change that the hormones were going to bring on his mate. Tygra’s smell was bound to change, and his pheromones surely were going to make a number on him. So, the white tiger had a talk with the couple to warn them and hopefully prevent any crisis that could come from the fact of Tygra not smelling like himself.

 

Jareid promised to have it in mind, but both princes were dreading the moment the hormonal change was noticeable. They both knew that what the High Shaman and Bengali feared was Jareid’s instinct to stop recognizing Tygra as his mate, and for it to catalogue the new smell as unpleasant. It was a common complaint among male couples that underwent the “pregnancy procedure.” Many reported that the pheromones made them reject their chosen mates when they were too close. With Jareid’s instincts always in overdrive, the shamans were wary of the way the jaguar prince could react.

 

After two days, it turned out that their worries had been unfounded, or rather, focusing on the wrong end of the deal. Tygra’s pheromones made him smell like he was in heat. It provoked Jareid to be always horny and his sex drive went up straight to the sky. Tygra was going crazy. He thanked the spirits for his private room, because he just couldn’t have tolerated Jareid on top of him 24/7. It was bad enough at night. The tiger could barely sleep!

 

It took three days for his hormones to stabilize and another two for Jareid to manage to control himself around his mate. Tygra feared he wouldn’t be able to walk if the situation went on for much longer.

 

Finally, the High Shaman decided it was time for a first try, and Tygra was so nervous he couldn’t even eat properly. Lion-O took upon himself to be at his brother’s side the day before the procedure took place, and try to quell the tiger’s fears. The young tiger was very anxious and had chosen to go to the training courtyard to burn out some of it. The two brothers spared for the first time in more than a year, and Tygra found out that he didn’t need to hold back anymore. Lion-O had improved his technique and his attacks were stronger and confident. A far cry from the disorganized attempts he used to do at home. Tygra still won, but only because he was stronger and had more stamina than his little brother. Besides, Lion-O was very careful to tone down his blows without the tiger noticing. Both were exhausted when they finally decided to stop and sat on one of the courtyard’s benches.

 

“That was very good Lion-O. You have improved. I’m proud of you.”

 

The young lion smiled with joy at his brother’s praise. He crossed his legs, and leaned on the tiger’s flank.

 

“Thanks. I’m actually enjoying the training here. We are starting to use real swords!”

 

“Really? That’s great!”

 

Tygra messed his brother’s mane, and Lion-O swatted his hands away. They talked a bit more about their respective trainings. After a while, Tygra fell pensive and a worried frown started to appear on his forehead. Lion-O turned to look at him and sighed.

 

“Stop thinking about tomorrow Tygra! It’d do you no good to worry yourself sick!”

 

Tygra chuckled nervously. If only he could stop thinking.

 

“It’s not easy. I’m starting to fear that this is not a good idea. What am I going to do with a cub?”

 

Lion-O hugged his brother’s arm and leaned his head on the stripped shoulder.

 

“You’d do great Tygra. Besides, you’re not going to raise him alone!”

 

“No. But that’s another thing that worries me. I don’t know if it is wise to trust Jareid with a cub! I can’t picture him as a parent, and I’m pretty scared of the way he reacts when he’s angry. What’s going to happen when our cub makes him lose his patience?”

 

“Then Ben would be there too, and Yeana and I, even queen Xilara. None of us is going to leave you to deal alone with the package.”

 

Tygra smiled gratefully at his brother, but his anxiousness was still there. Lion-O straightened on the bench and looked directly at the tiger’s profile.

 

“Ty, why did you choose to do this?”

 

The older prince bit his lower lip and looked down.

 

“I’m not really sure anymore. It was so clear at the moment.”

 

Lion-O pressed his lips and squeezed his brother’s hand sympathetically.

 

“Maybe you should remember the feeling. What exactly convinced you to accept to form a family with Jareid.”

 

Tygra’s smile became nostalgic for a second and then he nodded and played with Lion-O’s unruly mane a bit more. The lion growled and swatted his hands at him. They stayed outside until someone announced to them that it was dinner time.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

That night, as Tygra lied awake at his mate’s side, his head pillowed on the broad chest and his ear listening to the steady beat of the jaguar’s heart, the tiger thought about Lion-O’s words. What exactly had happened to him? Did Claudus’ apparent abandonment have really hurt that much to decide not to return to Thundera?

 

Tygra sighed as he reopened an old wound in his heart. Claudus would always choose Lion-O over Tygra. Lion-O was his flesh and blood. His heir. As much as Claudus could love Tygra, the tiger would always be his adopted son. An outsider in a family that was not his own.

 

Tygra sighed inwardly. Was he doing the right thing? His relationship with Jareid was rocky and had not had the best of beginnings. He had been forced into it. Was it correct to bring a cub into a family that had been coerced into existence? To parents that didn’t love each other? Tygra shivered at that last thought. Jareid and he didn’t love each other. Was it possible to raise a cub without love?

 

Jareid moved, interrupting his train of thought. He turned to rest on his left side. His right arm went over Tygra’s torso and he mumbled something unintelligible. Tygra looked at Jareid’s sleeping face for a moment and caught sight of the side of the jaguar’s neck. There, very light, but still visible, was the mark he had done. He had bit Jareid about five different times in the same place, and the jaguar had allowed it. He lifted his hand and touched the marked spot gingerly. Jareid growled in his sleep, but almost immediately started to purr.

 

Tygra put his arms around his mate’s body and leaned his head against the jaguar’s sternum, rubbing his forehead against Jareid’s chin a couple of times. The jaguar prince responded with a grunt and his purring grew louder. Tygra smiled. Perhaps there was no love between them, but they had learned to care for each other, and they could still love their cub, no matter the circumstances that had led them to it.

 

Feeling somewhat calmer, he let Jareid’s purr lull him into sleep.

 

&&&&&&

 

The next day, Tygra was considering running away as a viable option. He was more nervous than the day of the surgery and he wanted to use his claws and scratch. Bengali of course was not going to let him do anything so self-destructive. The white tiger was keeping a vigilant eye on him as the final preparations were made.

 

Tygra gulped as he saw the thing that was to be used on him. This part of the procedure was not really difficult. He was not undergoing any major surgery like the first one. His womb was supposedly prepared to host an embryo and was only waiting for the implantation to take place. So, they were going to do just that. It wouldn’t require any surgery. It was going to be more like an injection. They were going to make an incision and insert a needle, wide enough for a microscopic bunch of cells to pass through and inside him. The wound would be very small, so he’d only need local anaesthesia.

 

Which meant he’d be awake for the entire procedure, and _that_ was at the moment creeping him out. He was thinking of that big, huge, needle, more like a fencing sword in fact, maybe a bit wider, piercing his navel and stopping short from getting out through his lower back. Bengali approached him and put a hand on his shoulder, startling him.

 

“Hey, are you all right kit? You look pale.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Tygra gulped and looked back at the fearful needle. Ben chuckled.

 

“You’re not going to feel it. Come, lie down.”

 

“You know Ben, I’ve been thinking. Wouldn’t it be possible for me to be knocked out for this? I really don’t want to see.”

 

“Then look the other way.”

 

Ben made Tygra lie down and injected the anaesthesia. The tiger sucked air. He swore he could feel the tiny needle moving under his skin.

 

“Whiskers.”

 

“You know you’re not actually feeling any pain.”

 

“Try to be in my place.”

 

“Look at me.”

 

Tygra turned his head to the side enough to see Bengali’s face.

 

“Come on, you can fight in the jungle and stand face to face to Jareid. You’re not afraid of pain when you’re training.”

 

“For your information, I’m not thinking about the pain when I’m fighting and this is not any kind of combat where I can defend myself. This is different, and I’m declaring myself incapable to treat it rationally.”

 

“Ok, let’s try to get you relaxed. Close your eyes.”

 

“Ben…”

 

“Just do it.”

 

Tygra sighed and followed his friend’s instructions. He tried to ignore the noise of the other shamans moving closer to him. Bengali’s hand closed over his right arm, grounding him.

 

“Breath deeply, once… twice… You better not faint because I don’t want to have to stop Jareid from destroying the clinic.”

 

Tygra scoffed.

 

“Oh, please! Do you really think he’d do that?”

 

“You don’t? It’s a miracle that no one has been hurt so far! The cat’s a menace!”

 

A smile graced the young tiger’s lips. He blinked to readjust his eyes, but tried to not look down, and he kept them closed.

 

“Ben, do you really think that Jareid and I are going to be capable of raising a cub?”

 

“Of course not! Are you insane? That’s why you’d have me, and the rest of the family, taking care of all three of you! Who knows what you’d do if left to your own devices!”

 

“Seriously Ben!” Tygra said a bit exasperated. The older tiger’s hand was immediately on his forehead, caressing him.

 

“Don’t worry too much kit. You’re going to manage just fine. The part of all of us being here to support you is very much truth. You’d have all the help you’d need, and more.”

 

“I’m trying not to think too much about it, but I can’t help it.”

 

“Every new parent is terrified at some point. I think it comes in the job description.”

 

“Jareid doesn’t look too worried if you ask me.”

 

“Just wait ‘till he has a crying cub in his arms and no idea of what is wrong.”

 

“Oh dear spirits. I’d rather not think about that!”

 

Ben chuckled and Tygra sighed.

 

“Why are you such an expert?”

 

“My oldest sister has a three years old cub, and is expecting her second. She used to run to our mother every single day with a new crisis for the first months. She got a hold of cub-caring eventually.”

 

Tygra opened his mouth to say something more, when a slight discomfort on his mid-section made him tense instantly. He whimpered and the High Shaman’s voice was heard.

 

“Relax. We are finished here. We only have to wait to see your body’s reaction and in a couple of days we’d be able to confirm if he embryo had completed the implantation and if it’s in fact developing as it should.”

 

Tygra blinked and lifted his head in surprise. The machine was being pulled away from him, and he could distinguish a small area on his tummy where the fur looked messed.

 

“Wha…?”

 

Bengali looked amused at him.

 

“See? Told you, you weren’t going to feel anything.”

 

Tygra blushed and the High Shaman smiled at him.

 

“You can go now. If you start to feel any discomfort call Ben immediately.”

 

“Mmm… Can I stay here a bit longer?” He asked, suddenly worried about having to face Jareid. Both Bengali and Xiar frowned.

 

“Is there a problem?” Bengali asked seriously.

 

Tygra sighed. He knew by then that everyone in the palace tended to be wary of Jareid’s bad moods.

 

“Not a problem exactly. Well, it depends on the point of view. I swear that the pheromones turned on some switch in his mind and I don’t know how to turn it off again! You think he only cared about sex before, you should see him now!”

 

“My, I rather not, thank you.” Said Ben, understanding the boy’s dilemma. Xiar’s frown however didn’t go away.

 

“I was under the impression that he was controlling his urges now.”

 

“Well, a bit. He tries to actually get to the bed before he jumps me, and he’s not hunting me down the entire palace because he has not seen me for more than a few minutes. But still, a good entire night’s sleep would be great.”

 

The Shaman’s fears seemed to quell and Ben took the word.

 

“Sorry Tygra. We really didn’t see that coming. The usual reaction to the treatment is in fact the very opposite. Though, in retrospective, we should have expected something like this. Jareid, after all, is more instinctual and he used to have no qualms about the gender of his bed partners.”

 

Tygra raised an eyebrow in confusion.

 

“How would that have affected his reaction?”

 

“Well, most of the cats that decide to undergo this procedure to have cubs are male partners, and they choose this option because they don’t feel even the least bit attracted to females. You have to know that only females have a heat cycle, thus the special pheromones that they produce.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Tygra nodded in understanding. That, however, didn’t help him to solve his problem. Granted, Jareid had been more in control for the past couple of nights, and had actually been mellow and more caring with him, but the young tiger really needed to sleep!

 

Bengali wanted to reassure the teen some more, but Jareid irrupted in the room at that moment, apparently tired of waiting for Tygra to get out, and assuming that there had been some sort of complication. He summarily ignored the High Shaman’s reassurances that everything was fine and glared at Bengali, clearly expecting an explanation from him. The white tiger sighed and proceeded to repeat what the High Shaman had already said. Tygra was fine, they were only giving him some advice and instructions on what to do if an emergency occurred. Jareid nodded at his friend, and once he was cleared to take his mate out of the clinic, he lost no time in doing so.

 

Tygra watched the exchange with apprehension. It was not the first time he saw Jareid looking for Bengali’s words rather than the High Shaman’s. Xiar didn’t seem offended by it, but Tygra felt uneasiness in his gut when his mate acted in that way. He had respected Jaga and held his advice. Even if he sometimes had doubted the cleric’s words, he’d never have dared to blatantly disregard the old cat, much less to his very face. He addressed the issue once they were clear of the Shamans’ wing.

 

“Jareid, don’t you trust the High Shaman?”

 

The jaguar prince huffed and his eyes hardened.

 

“I have some personal issues with him. But I know he’s the best. That’s why he is High Shaman after all.”

 

“But you don’t entirely trust him.”

 

“I would have preferred that only Bengali were in charge of your health. But apparently I have no say in this situation.”

 

“And, Bengali is still young. Not experienced enough to take charge of something as complicated as this.” Tygra said, lifting an eyebrow at his mate, who huffed again.

 

“There’s that too, yes.”

 

Tygra shook his head.

 

“You know he’s going to be your right hand one day, don’t you?”

 

“What are you talking about? As far as I’m concerned there’d only be you and Bengali at my side when I’d get to be the king.”

 

“You can’t dismiss the entire council Jareid.”

 

“Fine, Ben’s father can stay, maybe the Chief Commander too, but only because I’m fully intending to drop all things concerning to the military on their hands.”

 

Tygra groaned as he started to list the reasons why the council existed in the first place, and why it was a bad idea to dismiss it or overlook it. Jareid however didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what he was saying, until Tygra huffed in annoyance.

 

“You know, sometimes you remind me too much of Lion-O when he was taking his lessons in Thundera.”

 

“Hey! Don’t compare me with the kit! He’s a thirteen years old!”

 

“And that’s older than your mental age, I swear!”

 

Jareid suddenly pushed Tygra against the wall and kissed the living lights out of the surprised tiger. When he paused to breath, Tygra could barely stand upright.

 

“That looks to you like something a thirteen years old could pull?”

 

“Smartass! And I…”

 

“Wow. Not even a little awestruck? I suppose that is some kind of accomplishment.”

 

Tygra turned his head to his right towards the cat that had interrupted them. One of the young noble females was standing a few meters from them, looking critically at their display. Jareid growled menacingly at her, and when that didn’t have the desired effect of she turning around and disappearing, the jaguar prince turned fully to confront her, putting himself between the female and his mate. Tygra rolled his eyes at the jaguar’s back, but let him be. He sincerely didn’t want to get into a verbal fight with Jareid in front of witnesses. Besides, the female in question was one of Jareid’s lovers. Let him handle his own screw-ups.

 

The jaguaress advanced to them and Jareid tensed as if he was going to attack her. Tygra reasoned that the jaguar wouldn’t just attack someone without provocation, but he was starting to worry. The female though didn’t seem concerned. She stopped just out of arms’ reach from them.

 

“How cute! Are you protecting him from the likes of me? Honestly Jareid, what he needs is someone to protect him from you. And I told you before, I don’t mind sharing.”

 

“And I told you to get lost Saixa! How many times do I have to repeat it?”

 

The female seemed unaffected. She looked past Jareid to the teen that was getting nervous.

 

“He’s too young Jareid, barely of age. He’s not going to give you a cub. His body is not going to resist the strain.”

 

Tygra tensed at the words, and Jareid’s growl intensified.

 

“Shut up Saixa!”

 

“Is he aware of that, Jareid? A male carrier has less chance to take a pregnancy to term as it is.”

 

“Saixa…”

 

“Considering his age, it’s going to be a miracle if he even gets pregnant at all. Sometimes it takes up to five tries for a successful pregnancy to happen. Sometimes they never succeed.”

 

Jareid roared and Tygra grabbed his right arm. The tiger knew everything that the woman was saying. He had read enough about male pregnancy. But at the moment he was getting more worried about the possibility of Jareid hitting the girl. He wished she’d shut up. Either she had a death wish or she couldn’t see the danger right in front of her!

 

“Don’t get mad at me Jareid! You know it’s the truth! You know that a female is your best chance to have an heir this year! A male that young can’t carry cubs! He’d get hurt trying!”

 

Ok, she had a death wish. Tygra couldn’t really do much about it, save try to hold his mate back.

 

“I said shut the fuck up Saixa! I don’t care what you think! Get the hell out of my sight before I make you!”

 

The female smirked at him and looked in amusement at the firm grasp that Tygra had on the jaguar’s arm.

 

“Don’t worry little one. Jareid likes to threaten a lot, but he’s not going to actually harm me.”

 

Tygra wasn’t so sure of that, and judging by the angry scoff that Jareid gave at the statement, he’d rather not take any risks.

 

“Just come a little closer and we’d test those words Saixa…”

 

The woman looked at her prince defiantly.

 

“If you wanted to really hurt me, the boy wouldn’t be able to stop you.”

 

Now Tygra was starting to be afraid. Thankfully, the jaguaress decided to turn around with one last statement for Jareid.

 

“Remember my prince, I don’t mind to share. I promise I can take good care of both of you!”

 

She disappeared behind a corner. Jareid was fuming.

 

“That little vixen! I’d screw her neck!”

 

“You’re not going to do anything of the sort Jareid!”

 

“Why not?”

 

Tygra looked incredulously at his jaguar mate.

 

“You can’t just go around hurting people that annoys you! You certainly can’t kill anyone unless there’s really no other choice!”

 

“Relax. I’m not killing anybody, I’m just going to squeeze her neck a bit.”

 

“Jareid…” Tygra growled. The jaguar embraced him.

 

“Don’t be upset my tiger. Cats like her don’t deserve your attention.”

 

He started to kiss Tygra’s forehead and caress his back. Tygra immediately felt the slight change in his mate’s touch.

 

“Don’t try to distract me with sex Jareid! I’m not like you!”

 

“Come on my tiger.” Jareid almost whined, refusing to let go of the teen’s body.

 

“No! We spent almost the entire night ‘playing.’ Wasn’t that enough?”

 

“I can’t help it. You smell delicious.”

 

Jareid lifted Tygra easily and kissed his mouth, then borrowed his nose in his mate’s neck and breathed deeply.

 

“So delicious… I want to be inside you and never let go.”

 

Tygra almost sobbed.

 

“Jareid, please. I’m really tired, and I seriously need to sleep more than a couple of hours!”

 

The jaguar resumed the walk towards his rooms, still carrying Tygra.

 

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to move a finger. I promise I’d let you sleep the entire day.”

 

Tygra groaned, knowing that he was not going to escape Jareid’s clutches anytime soon. He only hoped the jaguar was done quickly and actually leave him to sleep the day off. He was so tired that he didn’t care that it was still noon.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra woke up curled on his bed and shivering. He felt disoriented and lifted his head just a bit to have a peak around. The room was dark. It was night, and a heavy rain was falling. The lightning illuminated the room from time to time.

 

Tygra scowled. He had not intended to sleep for so long. He shivered again and he tried to curl more and get under Jareid at the same time. He was cold and very, very thirsty.

 

He debated for a moment if he should wake up Jareid or go find a glass of water and some covers himself. He was wondering where he could find a heavy comforter when an acute pain in his stomach took him by surprise. He groaned loudly and braced himself. Jareid moved behind him, and soon the sleepy voice of the older prince reached his ears.

 

“Tygra? Are you awake?”

 

There was another peak of pain and Tygra cried in misery, clutching his midsection as if he was seriously considering gutting himself. He couldn’t stop shivering and his teeth started doing rattling noises. Jareid moved quickly and was in an instant crouching in front of his mate, who moaned at the loss of body heat.

 

“Tygra, look at me. Are you in pain?”

 

“…’ss … hurtsss…”

 

Jareid took his communicator quickly and called Bengali. Then, he covered Tygra with the sheets, but it was evident that it wasn’t enough to provide heat to the tiger. He opened a drawer and got out the covers he had used to travel with the warriors to the mountains to train. He covered Tygra with those, and it seemed to calm the teen a little.

 

“It’s ok Tygra. Ben would be here in a minute. He’d sort you out.”

 

Tygra wanted to answer, but the pain was getting worse and he could only gasp. He felt as if someone was driving a sword through him repeatedly. Then, his abdomen contracted and he cried out.

 

Jareid was at a loss. Tygra was in pain and he had no means to stop it. What was taking Bengali so long?

 

Tygra cried again, and Jareid was just about to lift his mate and carry him to the Shamans’ wing when Ben finally arrived, healer’s bag in hand.

 

The Shaman assessed the situation and quickly put himself to work. He didn’t like that Tygra’s belly hurt so much, and he needed to stabilize the youth’s temperature as quickly as possible. He instructed Jareid to help him and the jaguar prince soon had Tygra sitting on his lap.

 

“Open your mouth Tygra. Drink this.”

 

“… B-Ben…”

 

“It’s fine Tygra. This is going to make you feel better.”

 

Tygra swallowed the medicine and Bengali injected him something too. The pain lessened slightly and Tygra moaned.

 

“Put on some clothes Jareid. We are taking Tygra to the clinic.”

 

“What’s happening Ben?”

 

“He’s rejecting the embryo. Or, it never implanted in the first place, and his body is trying to get rid of the leftovers. I have to take his temperature down and stabilize him.”

 

Jareid clenched his teeth, trying to tell himself that it was just the first try. Something like this always happened on the first try. He had read all about it.

 

He followed Bengali’s instructions and carried Tygra to the clinic, hoping against hope that his friend could help his mate and solve the problem quickly.

 

&&&&&&&

 

For two days the Shamans were trying to stabilize Tygra, until they had to give up and accept that the implantation hadn’t been successful. Tygra’s womb had already shed the lining off, and the tiger’s body was trying to get rid of the resulting bloody mess. They had to drain the blood via a small tube that they inserted into Tygra’s belly. The cut they made was very small, as they didn’t want to upset the tiger’s body even more. They retired the tube and put a stitch in the cut as soon as there was no more blood getting out.

 

The High Shaman gave the king a full report, but Jareid wanted Bengali to explain him what had happened. The white tiger talked with both cats in the clinic’s room where Tygra was recovering from the ordeal. The youth looked very pale, but at least the pain was gone.

 

Bengali explained what had had to be done, and that they believed that the embryo had failed to implant properly. Another theory was that the embryo had formed a cyst and had failed to produce the hormones that would have had maintained the lining covering the womb. Either way, the womb had tried to dispose of the blood and tissue that was no longer needed, but it had no means to do so, as Tygra was a male. The tiger’s body had reacted rather strongly.

 

Tygra sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. He was lying on the bed; his head was leaning on Jareid’s thigh, and his mate was massaging his scalp in an effort to soothe him. He still felt terrible, but didn’t want to sleep. He heard Bengali’s explanation like he was listening to a lecture. He felt almost detached from the whole thing.

 

“So, it was too much to ask for a success at the first try, right?”

 

Bengali sighed at the teen’s attempt to dismiss what had happened. Jareid scratched tenderly the back of Tygra’s ears and looked at him worriedly.

 

“It’s very difficult to have a successful first attempt. There’s nothing to do but try again.”

 

Tygra felt weird. He had been conscious that on the 98% of the cases the first try was unsuccessful. Still, he had been praying to be among the extremely lucky 2% that made it without problems. He bit his lips. He had known beforehand that he’d probably lose the embryo this first time, but it still felt as some kind of failure.

 

Jareid looked down at his mate in concern. It worried him the apparent lack of reaction on the tiger’s part. Tygra was almost absent.

 

“Tygra, how are you feeling?” He asked while his fingers combed the stripped fur on the tiger’s head. His mate shrugged.

 

“I’m just… tired, I think.”

 

Jareid scowled and looked towards Bengali, who was also worried for the young cat.

 

“He needs to sleep and recover strength. Let him rest for a couple of hours before we do a last scan. Just to be sure that there is no more blood pooling inside him, and then you can take him to your room.”

 

Jareid nodded and he continued playing with his mate’s short mane. Tygra entered some sort of slumber, focusing only on Jareid’s fingers, and not thinking in anything else.

 


	14. Plots and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

 

They let Tygra’s body have two weeks to recover before making a second try. The hormonal treatment never ceased, and Tygra felt moody most of the time. He was trying to get on with his studies, and he even sneaked out to train a bit with Xalu and Xora to not fell so far behind his fellow hunter trainees. It also helped him to recover some sense of normalcy that he so needed before Jareid made him go mad. The jaguar prince seemed to be caught somewhere between concern for his mate’s health and the lust that Tygra’s pheromones were still inspiring on him. Tygra had a few chosen words for whoever had invented this male pregnancy procedure. It was going to be the dead of him!

 

He presented himself to the second try at implanting the embryo with some fear. His insides still felt weird and he was not sure that he had recovered at 100%, but the High Shaman was not giving him a choice. It hurt a bit this time, as Tygra’s anxiousness didn’t make things easier. He even decided to go straight to his room and move as little as possible. He just couldn’t rid himself of the thought that he had not been ready yet.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Baal growled at the communicator in his hand.

 

His High Councillor and a small guard were in Thundera to attend the council meeting there. Lion-O had refused to go, not wanting his father to have the opportunity to keep him in Thundera. Claudus of course had been furious and it had been necessary to put the young lion in touch with his father. Lion-O had been able to calm the Thunderian king down and Claudus had grudgingly agreed to leave the lion teen with his brother for as long as he wanted.

 

That had gone well, especially considering that Lion-O had managed to keep his brother’s attempts at pregnancy to himself. Though Baal was convinced that if the lion cub had said anything Claudus wouldn’t have believed it, not even if Tygra himself had mentioned it, there was no reason to take unnecessary risks.

 

Baal had set the matter closed, but now Claudus was asking to send a Cleric. A bloody Cleric! He said that Lion-O needed to be taught the essentials to become Thundera’s king, and he wanted to send someone who could tutor him. Besides, the Clerics also acted as bodyguards of the royal family. Lion-O had to be assigned a guardian.

 

Now, since the lion heir was no longer considered a war prisoner, Baal really had no ground to deny Claudus’ request. However, he pointed out that Ix-Maal had excellent tutors, and that Lion-O’s education was not going to be lacking. It seemed though that Claudus didn’t believe that Baal understood just what Lion-O needed to be taught. The jaguar king bristled at the insinuation, but after some statements it was clear that Claudus didn’t doubt the jaguars tutors’ capabilities. He was wary of what they could teach Lion-O, but he was much more concerned over the fact that they might not want to teach him.

 

Baal was for a moment utterly baffled. He frankly didn’t understand the lion king’s concern. Jaga took charge of the communication then, and explained to Baal that Lion-O wasn’t really a good student and his tutors had always had many complaints about him. Jaga accepted that the young lion was difficult, and he believed that the heir needed special attention on his tutors’ part. Claudus’ concern was that the jaguars didn’t have any obligation to Lion-O and thus they would be tired of the lion soon and not force him to go ahead with his studies.

 

Baal understood the situation based on what he had known about the lions, and remembering certain comments Tygra had made. For a moment he really wanted to laugh. He contented himself with informing the lion king that both Lion-O and Tygra had been assigned tutors from the moment they had arrived to Ix-Maal. No one had yet complained about either one of the princes, quite the contrary, both were getting excellent notes and Lion-O was in fact in very good terms with his tutors. They were quite happy to teach him.

 

His comment seemed to have rendered both Thunderians speechless. Baal took advantage of their moment of shock to conclude that Lion-O really didn’t need any more teachers. The young lion had his hands full as it was. Also, another guard in the palace was redundant, there hadn’t been any security issues concerning Lion-O, so no cleric was really required. He’d send Claudus a report on the lessons that Lion-O was taking and his progress on them. He promised to consider the cleric’s presence along the next months. He cut the communication before either Thunderian had recovered enough to put his wits together and think of a comeback.

 

He sighed and leaned back on his seat, considering the new development. His delegation would be back that evening, no doubt with the report that they’d left a communicator in Thundera. That wasn’t really a problem, as they could intercept any communication and record or interrupt it. But he knew that Claudus was not going to let the subject of the Cleric go. The lion king wanted someone from his own court close to Lion-O. Someone that would guarantee that the young lion’s mind wouldn’t get too contaminated with the jaguar’s values, and remind the heir what Thundera stood for.

 

Baal scoffed. Lion-O was old enough to choose which values he wanted to follow. Claudus wanted to make sure that his heir didn’t forget his duties, but it may be a little late for that, and not even because of the year that the young lion had already spent in another city.

 

The jaguar shrugged. The lion king’s problems were not his concern. The real issue for him was the Cleric. Whoever Claudus wanted to send, was bound to cause problems, especially because the lion no doubt would be counting on his cleric to have access to Tygra. Baal didn’t want to put more stress on the young tiger’s shoulders. He also didn’t want the teen to reconsider his options. The first cleric had been too close to get Tygra apart from Jareid. Baal didn’t want any more interference.

 

He hoped that the High Shaman found the way to get the young cat pregnant already. That was the priority. Once Tygra was with cub, there’d be nothing Claudus could do to take his adopted son back. A lazy smile appeared on his lips. The next meeting in Thundera would be in three months. If Tygra were already pregnant by then, he’d accept Thundera’s cleric in his domain. The shamans were very capable to handle any one of the Thunderians. They’d keep the guardian in line and away from Tygra if need be.

 

One thing picked his curiosity though. Claudus had said that the clerics were the royal bodyguards. If that was truth, then why Lion-O hadn’t had one during his cubhood? Why wait until he was a teenager to assign him one? And why didn’t Tygra get his own guard too? True, the jaguars really didn’t know the inner works of Thundera’s court, but Baal distinctly remembered his warriors reporting that they had found the two Thunderian princes quite alone in the heir’s room. Tygra had been the one trying to protect his little brother from fully trained warriors. If the Clerics were the royal guards they sure did a shitty job.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The dull pain in his belly started around dinner, and he was throwing up early in the morning. Xiar gave him medicine and two injections to try to reduce the pain and stabilize him, but the fever was back in full force by the night of the second day, and the contractions of his abdominal muscles were killing him.

 

As it happened the first time, every effort the shamans did to salvage the situation was for nothing. They had to drain the contents of Tygra’s womb again and let him recover for another week.

 

The tiger apparently took the situation in stride. The High Shaman never heard a complaint or bitterness from him, but Bengali was worried. Tygra was talking less and he was trying to bury himself in books to hide in his room. The white tiger knew that the only thing preventing Tygra from getting out to the courtyard and train the entire day was Jareid’s constant vigilance of him.

 

Tygra was apparently trying to not attach himself emotionally to the situation. He didn’t want to think about cubs and developing stages. He couldn’t deal with the notion of a miscarriage and he was trying his damnest to block the word from his mind. He went on with the treatment and followed every instruction the High Shaman gave him, trying to go on through the motions without thinking too much, as if it was a regular treatment from a healer. But when he was told, after only a couple of days that they were going for a third try, he almost cracked.

 

Bengali wanted to wait more time for a third try. He knew that Tygra was very stressed and would likely collapse only from the anxiety he was trying to hide. The High Shaman however, considered that they could push their luck. If they waited too long they would have to suspend the hormonal treatment, and that would be a hazard for Tygra with the artificial womb still inside him.

 

They incremented the dose of hormones for Tygra, and added another medicine for his metabolism and to help him relax. Even so, Tygra was still trembling when they implanted the third embryo. His claws were making little punctures in the palms of his hands because of how tight he was clenching his fists. Ben had been short to sedate him. It was very hard to make Tygra relax a little.

 

Xiar wanted him to stay in the Shamans’ wing this time, so they could monitor him and make sure that the embryo had implanted. Jareid protested that they didn’t need Tygra to stay in the clinic for that. The High Shaman had been sure the previous time that the embryo had implanted, and that knowledge hadn’t make a difference. So, after a couple of hours, Jareid took Tygra to his room with strict orders of what to give him and what the tiger could and could not do.

 

Tygra was pretty subdued. He tried to not move too much and stayed on his puff for the rest of the afternoon. Jareid looked at him worriedly when it was time for dinner.

 

“Tygra? Don’t you want to eat?”

 

“I’m not really hungry. But I suppose I should eat.”

 

“Here. I brought you some sandwiches.”

 

Jareid offered his mate the plate with food and Tygra accepted it. He ate in silence while Jareid watched him. At the end, he left the plate on a nearby night table and sighed, rubbing his stomach in soothing circles.

 

“Are you ok?” Jareid asked. Tygra nodded slightly.

 

“I’m fine. It’s just one more try. There’s nothing yet.”

 

He continued rubbing his navel. Jareid sat beside him and pulled him towards his body in a one armed hug.

 

“You’re scared.”

 

Tygra shivered and closed his eyes.

 

“What if this is wrong Jareid? What if something is trying to tell me that I’m not supposed to have this cub? That I made a mistake accepting this?”

 

“Shht. Don’t say nonsense, Tygra. Male pregnancies are always difficult to achieve because of their very nature, not because some God doesn’t want you to have cubs.”

 

“But it’s not natural. A male isn’t supposed to get pregnant.”

 

“So, we cheated a bit. Our shamans found a way to offer some cats the possibility to have a family of their own. I seriously doubt our Gods have something against that. It’s very difficult, but many things in life are. That doesn’t mean you have to renounce them.”

 

Tygra sobbed. Even though he had tried to distance himself from the whole procedure, he still felt very conflicted. Jareid kissed his head and caressed his cheek.

 

“Don’t give up yet Tygra. Many couples try this many times. It’s going to end up well.”

 

Tygra bit his lips hard and sighed. Why was he doing this? Was it really worth it?

 

Jareid lifted his chin and kissed him hungrily, desperately, with a passion and need that Tygra knew he wouldn’t find in anyone else. He found himself responding to the kiss, reaching out to his mate’s chest. They were two loneliness forced together, trying to make something else. Tygra had had no choice, but Jareid had. Jareid had always had. The jaguar prince had chosen Tygra above anyone else, and the tiger knew that there had been plenty of options for Jareid. Still, the jaguar had chosen him and Tygra felt the need to give something in return.

 

He felt the bite on his neck and relished in the dull pain it caused. He only knew that he somehow had chosen to accept it, and find solace and comfort in his mate’s company. He wanted to create a real family. His family. And he’d keep trying, because there was nothing else for him. He couldn’t be wrong on this. He had not left his home for nothing!

 

This time it was he the one to guide Jareid to the bed. He gave himself gladly, relishing in the feeling of being desired. To be taken with such passion, that could almost be mistaken for love.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra woke to severe pain in his navel. He moaned and clutched his midsection as his inner muscles contracted.

 

No. For the spirits, not again! It had been a week! Not again! He had taken everything the High Shaman had prescribed! This shouldn’t be happening!

 

He cried out and some tears escaped his eyes as another wave of pain hit him. The noise woke Jareid up and the jaguar prince was immediately crouching in front of the tiger.

 

“Tygra? What’s wrong?”

 

“… Nnngh… stop it… make it stop, please…”

 

He cried again and curled into a tight ball. Jareid closed his eyes in resignation and went for the communicator, pushing the button that would alert Bengali.

 

It had been an entire week this time. Tygra had only been feeling a slight discomfort in his navel, and they had been told it was normal. He had had a fever two days past, but the Shamans had been able to fight it back. Tygra had followed the instructions given to him to the letter. Apparently his body didn’t care.

 

Jareid wrapped Tygra with a sheet and made soothing noises while he carried his tiger to the clinic. Tygra was mostly lost in the pain, but he held to Jareid’s shoulder for dear life. Bengali was already waiting for them in the clinic.

 

&&&&&&&

 

This time, Tygra cried. It had been the third time, and he couldn’t keep the embryo safe within himself. No matter the medicines and the treatment he had taken, his body just wasn’t capable to recognize that there was another life that was trying to grow inside him.

 

The shamans had drained his womb again and the pain had stopped, but he felt empty. The assurances that they had only tried three times, and that what was happening was expected because of his age, and because he was a male, were really not helping. If they were expecting him to miscarriage, why they kept trying to get him pregnant at all?

 

Jareid and Baal were discussing with Xiar and Bengali in the adjacent room. Tygra could hear the noise, but wasn’t paying attention. He was lying on his right side, curling up in misery and feeling sorry for himself. At the moment he just wanted to sleep and never wake up.

 

The door opened and Jareid entered Tygra’s assigned room, trying very hard to control the anger he was feeling. He looked at the tiger curled on the bed and immediately went to him. Baal, Xiar and Bengali entered behind him, none of them satisfied with how things were unfolding, but little could be done about it.

 

Jareid crouched in front of Tygra and caressed the stripped head, stroking the neck and shoulders too. He looked at the trails of tears on Tygra’s face and kissed the crown of the tiger’s forehead. A pained sob escaped Tygra and the teen looked up at his mate.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

“Shht. None of this is your fault. I’m taking you home to recover.”

 

Xiar had insisted that Tygra should be spending some time in the clinic, but Jareid had blatantly refused. He was frustrated and mad that his mate was hurting. He was not leaving Tygra into anyone’s care. His mate needed some peace.

 

Xiar was frustrated as well. The youth’s body was not responding as it should. He knew they needed to check Tygra thoroughly. There must be something wrong, and they were missing it, but it was near impossible to reason with Jareid.

 

“We really should try again as soon as possible.” Xiar commented.

 

Tygra’s eyes widened in panic, and he looked at Jareid pleadingly.

 

“No, please, not again…”

 

Jareid looked back at the High Shaman and roared in anger. If Tygra hadn’t been grasping his arm he’d have attacked the older jaguar. Baal inserted himself in his son’s line of view and looked at Xiar.

 

“We agreed to let him rest. You can start over again in six weeks. If the womb is indeed not functional by then, you’d replace it.”

 

The High Shaman didn’t like it, but they were achieving nothing with the way they were handling things. They needed to review the procedure and made the necessary adjustments. But a month and a half seemed too long to wait for another try.

 

Xiar ended up nodding to his king and Bengali approached the couple to check on Tygra. As soon as the white tiger said that the teen could be moved, Jareid lifted his mate and carried him out of the Shamans’ wing.

 

Tygra felt dizzy, but didn’t protest Jareid’s handling. He wanted to be in their den, away from everyone, and perhaps cry himself to sleep.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Mai walked up to one of the service doors on the general area of the barracks. She despised to have to dwell in those places, but her choices had been severely limited. Damn her father! The cat just didn’t understand! Jareid would never hurt her, he loved her!

 

Mai had convinced herself that her father was in lieu with the king and wanted her out of the way. It was as her mother had always said. Her father just didn’t have vision, or ambition, at all. She wasn’t going to leave things like that, she couldn’t. They had no right to take Jareid from her! The alliance with the Thunderians was a joke. She was going to fight for her rightful place at Jareid’s side. She was going to be queen, and no one was going to prevent it!

 

She reached the correct door and waited for a couple of minutes. A cloaked figure got out and looked around the place. Mai gave a step forwards to make her presence known and the other cat seemed to hesitate for a moment before approaching her. Once they were under the cover of some trees, the cat lowered the hood of the cloak, revealing a young jaguar, barely reaching his twenties, who looked very nervous.

 

“We really shouldn’t be doing this, Mai. Why don’t we go to the High Shaman? He could help us…”

 

“Don’t be stupid Thao! All of them are set on the tiger having the cub, and we both know that he’s not going to make it!”

 

“He could…”

 

“No, he can’t! You have seen it, it’s been three times already and his body is not accepting the pregnancy!”

 

“They still have time. It’s long before the year is over.”

 

“And you suppose they actually have the entire year? The cub has to be born before the year is over Thao! The terms of the ritual are very strict! They’re not gonna make it. The tiger is a boy! Think about it Thao, his body is not going to resist the pressure. They are going to need a carrier anyway, and the more they wait, the more difficult it’d be for the cub to be born before they have to present it to the lion king!”

 

“But… I heard that prince Jareid is insisting that he doesn’t want any carrier.”

 

“He’s going to change his mind when he’s convinced that the tiger is not strong enough to carry a cub. You yourself said that he was hurting, and that this last time he was left very weak. How do you think he’d end up after the fourth miscarriage?”

 

Thao gulped. He was a recently initiated shaman, and he was helping with Tygra’s pregnancy procedure as part of the support team. He had seen how bad Tygra had reacted to the third miscarriage. The tiger prince didn’t want to continue. He had been too hurt. But they needed their heir. The High Shaman had clearly said that they only had a year. Without the heir, the mating would be dissolved.

 

Thao was a romantic at heart. He had seen how much his prince had changed with Tygra and believed beyond doubt that the two of them were made for each other. If the mating was dissolved, prince Jareid was going to refuse to let Tygra go. It’d hurt them both and it’d be bad for the kingdom. Mai continued talking.

 

“Everyone knows that Jareid is not mentally stable. If losing his mate pushes him over the edge, we’d be left without a sane heir. We mustn’t let that to happen!”

 

“I… I still think that we should talk to the High Shaman.”

 

“No! Don’t you see Thao? They are going to lose time! They want to please Jareid, and in doing so they’re going to hurt the tiger prince badly. If we hurry, there’d be no need for a fourth time. No need to hurt him further. Tygra would be relieved, and Jareid is going to see that it’s best this way. They’d have their heir, and Tygra would be able to wait a few more years before he tries for another cub. They’d be grateful that we thought about this.”

 

Thao bit his lip in nervousness. He wasn’t really sure about Mai’s plan. He wanted to help the couple, especially since prince Tygra was taking a heavy toll and was afraid of another try. He just didn’t like the idea of going behind the High Shaman’s back. But Mai was right; everyone was focussed in getting Tygra pregnant and were disregarding the damage they were doing to the tiger prince. Besides, the probability of a successful male pregnancy in someone so young was low.

 

“Just think about this Thao, when they finally convince themselves that Tygra’s body is not going to accept the pregnancy, it’d be too late to find another solution, and the tiger’s suffering would have been for nothing!”

 

Thao groaned and passed a hand through his mane.

 

“Fine. Maybe you have a point. But you have to swear that you are going to give them the cub Mai.”

 

“Of course. I don’t have any wish to be a mother yet. This I’m going to do for my prince’s sake.”

 

“And you have to tell them as soon as you get the positive. You have to be recognized as the carrier for the cub to be the legal heir.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. Once I’m with cub, the High Shaman will know.”

 

Thao still hesitated. Mai had to gently make him remember that Bengali was very worried about Tygra, and had in fact pressured for waiting the entire six weeks before making the fourth try. Tygra was getting ill. Even Thao could see it.

 

“Are you sure you only need the samples? I could prepare the embryo in the lab.”

 

“Don’t be silly, they’d catch you. They’re not going to notice two samples gone. Besides, the palace’s is not the only lab in the city.”

 

“Fine.”

 

Thao produced a small rectangular box. A special container to move biological samples. He gave it to his cousin with the most care.

 

“No one can know whose samples are these Mai! You can’t tell anyone who are the parents!”

 

“No one is going to know, stop being paranoid! We are just helping our prince to keep his sanity intact. He won’t suffer, and the kingdom won’t suffer either.”

 

“I hope so.” Thao muttered under his breath.

 

He really, really hoped his cousin Mai to be right, and that they could help the princes. Something in his gut was still telling him that it was a very bad idea to go behind the High Shaman and Shaman Bengali’s backs, but if they wanted to spare prince Tygra another hurtful miscarriage, they had to act as soon as possible. That was what Mai had said. Thao really had no reason to doubt his cousin’s motives.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Mai arrived home and opened the small case. She frowned at the two tubes, which had no evident label on them. Maybe she should have asked Thao which was which one, but then the brat could get suspicious. It had taken her nearly a month to convince her cousin to get the samples for her. She couldn’t have him doubting her now and going to the High Shaman before she had the chance to inseminate herself. Once she was with cub there’d be nothing anyone could do.

 

By law, every confirmed pregnancy had to be carried to the end. Terminating a pregnancy was severely punished. This was due to the low birth rate the jaguar clan had manifested in the last decade. It wasn’t still too dangerous, but the council had declared that a preventative measure was to be in place. They couldn’t afford to lower their numbers, after all.

 

Mai was going to make sure that many cats, the entire court if possible, would be aware of her pregnancy before going to the king. No one was going to have a chance to ruin her future with Jareid. She had considered to wait for the year to be over, since she was sure that the tiger was not going to get pregnant, but the king would simply order to name a carrier, so the mating would not be broken. She was not going to allow that to happen.

 

She considered the tubes in front of her. There had to be a label somewhere. She picked up one and examined it. There. Engraved in the side of the tube was a barely distinguishable legend. *Jar-1.02

 

She smiled. This must be Jareid’s. She returned the tube to the case and got the other one out. She checked the legend on this one, just to be sure that the code was what she thought. This one read; *Ty-1.00

 

She nodded to herself and threw the tube away. She closed the case once more and called the Shaman she had consulted days before. The crown would be hers.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra jumped from branch to branch on the thick canopy of the jungle, intent on getting away from the big and unfairly fast beast that was behind him. Where was that damned trap? It didn’t help that it was raining, and the pouring water made the branches more slippery and dangerous than normal.

 

He almost lost his foot on one jump, and only the loud roar at his back made him continue jumping ahead. The trap should be somewhere around the area.

 

He got out his whip and used it to turn sharply to his left, just before a set of claws reached him. Then he heard the swipe of some branches and the furious roar of the beast at finding itself trapped under a heavy net and falling down the trees.

 

Tygra hung from his whip, and sighed in relief. That had been too close, he was losing speed. He couldn’t allow that to happen.

 

He found a suitable branch to step on, and then climbed down to join the rest of his team. By then his teammates had already slain the medium-sized beast and were busy butchering it.

 

One of the duties of the hunters was to provide fresh meat to the palace. Once in a while, the trainees were sent as bait for some predator. It was considered a good exercise.

 

Tygra got to the ground and his lieutenant checked him out for injuries while the others prepared the beast. Kab was a bit anxious over Tygra rejoining normal training. It’d be only for a couple of weeks, but it had been deemed necessary for the tiger to continue doing his life as usual. It had taken an entire week of fighting and begging to Jareid to allow him to rejoin the training. The jaguar prince was still too nervous and unwilling to let his mate out of his sight for long, much less to willingly send him to take part of dangerous activities. Bengali had helped Tygra to convince his stubborn mate and the tiger had no doubt that the recent claw marks on his right arm had helped to push the issue too. So, now there he was, in his usual routine, trying to forget that the past two months ever happened.

 

He had begged to be the bait this time, and Kab had let him only because the teen would keep insisting and he was sure of Tygra’s abilities. However, he had made the tiger swear that he was not going to ever mention to Jareid what he had done. The jaguar prince would kill the entire team if he knew they had let Tygra be the bait for the hunt.

 

Kab made sure that the young cat had not been injured, and asked him how he had felt. It was the first time in weeks that Tygra was doing heavy exercise. Besides, everyone was very aware that the tiger had undergone the surgery to have a womb, and even if the pregnancy had not taken, he still had a “new organ” to take into account. The young tiger did feel more tired than usual, and was starting to sense some pain in his midsection, but it was nothing to worry about, so he assured his trainer that he was fine. Once sure that Tygra was not harmed, Kab focussed on supervising the preparation of their prey and then its transport to the palace.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The entire team took a quick shower in the barracks, though Tygra wasn’t sure why. It was pouring anyway. They were already soaked and they’d remain that way until they’d get proper cover from the rain.

 

There were some other cats around, mingling and waiting for the storm to calm down a bit before venturing outside again. The majority of the jaguars didn’t mind a good soak, but too much water made anyone a bit moody, and it had been raining non-stop for four days already.

 

Tygra stood at the threshold of the entrance and looked at the rain. He unconsciously started to rub his navel. The pain was still there, but it was dying out. Xalu approached him and asked if he was feeling all right. Tygra scowled. His team had been treating him differently. It was not evident, but the tiger just knew that they had toned down the training. They had been worried when he had offered to be the bait and had tried to dissuade him. They asked how he was feeling at least once every day and they fell into certain patterns when they were doing team practice to end up technically protecting him. It was annoying Tygra, but he didn’t believe they were doing it on purpose.

 

He sighed and nodded to his friend, then turned to see if the rest of the team was finished. He almost rolled his eyes when he noticed that he was practically surrounded by his teammates. They were not over him, but sitting and standing in various positions all over the place, close enough to form a semicircle around the tiger. He groaned under his breath and for a moment he wondered if a female had to put up with this behaviour. It was really annoying.

 

Another group of cats walked towards the entrance at that moment, and Tygra moved to the side to let them pass. Then the fur on his neck stood on end and he let go a low growl. Mao was part of the new group and was looking at him with disgust written in his entire face. Tygra tried to ignore him and looked towards Xalu, who had noticed the tiger’s reaction and was subtly putting himself between Tygra and the group of older cats that were heading out of the barracks.

 

Mao stopped and smirked derisively in Tygra’s direction. Xalu growled. The group that was with Mao stooped too and one of them tried to pull the cat away. Mao didn’t move. He just couldn’t pass the opportunity to hurt his rival.

 

“How’s the pregnancy going Tygra? Oh, right! You can’t give our prince an heir, isn’t that so? You simply are not qualified for it.”

 

Tygra growled and turned towards the offending cat, one hand on his navel and the other with claws out, ready to try and took out the other’s eyes. He, however, stopped short at what happened. Suddenly, his entire team was between he and Mao, growling menacingly at the older cat, who seemed surprised by the reaction. Two of Mao’s group grabbed the jaguar by the arms and dragged their companion out of the barracks without giving the training hunters a second glance. Someone was beside Tygra immediately. The young tiger felt a hand on his lower back doing soothing movements. Xalu turned on him and asked again if he was all right.

 

Tygra just stared owlishly at his teammates for a couple of seconds. They were all looking anxiously at him, and it was evident that they wanted to make sure he was fine. Then he scowled and crossed his arms.

 

“Are you aware that I could very well have fought Mao myself if I’d needed to? I’m very capable to hold him off!”

 

He conveniently forgot the one time Mao had attacked him. No one needed to be aware of that. His teammates looked unsure for a moment and Xalu shrugged.

 

“Of course you can.”

 

“Then why are you all protecting me?” He asked, somewhat frustrated.

 

There was confused scuffling around him and Xalu was just opening his mouth, but almost immediately closed it and scowled. He had meant to say, _‘Because of your condition’_ but he had realized on time that it was a bad idea. Besides, what condition exactly? Tygra was not pregnant. There was no way in hell that Jareid would have allowed his mate to rejoin training if he was. They had been told that they may have to go easy on Tygra the first day of training, but the tiger seemed to be on his usual top form. The youth had just been the bait in a hunt, for the spirits sake! Albeit the entire team had opposed strongly to the idea, the tiger had done it just the same, and he had been fine.

 

There really was no need for them to be worried about him.

 

Tygra looked as his teammates seemed to realize for the first time what they had been doing. After some moments, one of them, named Aleph, just said.

 

“Well, our instinct just got the better of us. We are a prowl after all.”

 

Tygra continued scowling.

 

“Instinct? For what? I’m not the weakest of the group and I’m not hurt! You didn’t act like this when I rejoined training after my leg had been shredded to bits! There’s no reason why you’d have to pull this on now!”

 

The teens looked at each other in confusion. There really was no apparent reason for them to be acting protectively with Tygra. He was the second best in their group and could take care of himself. However, they still felt the compulsion to shield him from any possible threats. Xalu shrugged and then asked.

 

“Are you sure you’re not hurt Tygra?”

 

“Of course I am!”

 

“Really? Because there must be something calling to us. Our instinct is telling us that we need to protect you. There has to be a reason!”

 

Tygra pressed his lips in a tight line. His right hand automatically went to his navel. He caught himself on the movement and forced his hand down, clenching his fist. No. He didn’t want to even think about it. Xalu got closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Look, maybe you should go to the Shamans, just to be sure. Our collective instinct is trying to tell us something, it’s not wise to dismiss it.”

 

Tygra bit his lower lip and nodded. He was going to see Bengali the next day anyway. It had been three weeks since he had stopped the treatment and the white tiger wanted to check if his metabolism and his hormones were stable again.

 

They waited a few more minutes before getting out into the rain and run to their respective dwellings. Two of them accompanied Tygra to the palace, and then went on their ways.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The halls and corridors of the palace were almost deserted. Tygra found a couple of servants on his way to the Royal apartments. One of them gave him a towel and he used it to get the excess water off from his fur. He needed another shower, and then dry himself entirely or he would get a cold.

 

He turned a corner with the towel on his face, and walked straight into someone. The collision was not hard, but Tygra’s momentum almost provoked him to fell tangled up on the other cat, who thankfully regained equilibrium and could keep them both on their feet. Tygra put the towel down and looked up with an apology on his lips. He froze when he found himself in front of an amused Saixa. The female was taller than him for a few inches, and that alone made Tygra very conscious of his own age.

 

“Sorry Ma’am.”

 

Saixa chuckled and winked at him.

 

“Not to worry sweetheart. Actually, I was looking for you.”

 

Tygra raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t had any good encounters with anyone of Jareid’s lovers. He had never crossed paths with Saixa before, but he knew she was the daughter of one of the councillors. He also had heard that she had been one of Jareid’s favourites and many in the court had been sure that she was going to be, if not the queen at least a consort. Tygra steeled himself mentally. It won’t be the first time one of Jareid’s lovers wanted to make their displeasure known to him.

 

“What for? I don’t think we have any issues to talk about.”

 

“Well, not an ‘issue’ per se. But the fact that you are now Jareid’s mate, makes it necessary for me to have a chat with you.”

 

Tygra looked at her cautiously, waiting for her to start complaining or demanding something.

 

“Why?”

 

“You see, I used to enjoy my little escapades with Jareid. He’s really good in bed, and frankly much better than the rest of the cats. Only he has been able to keep my rhythm, if you know what I’m talking about.”

 

She winked in conspiracy at him. Tygra was bright red. He didn’t want to imagine Saixa and Jareid in bed! Why everyone insisted on bothering him with that? Saixa ignored his discomfort and kept talking.

 

“But besides that… well, he’s the heir. That’s a huge point to his favour. I was really disappointed to know that he’d been betrothed to you. I think I had a real chance to win him over. I know that he doesn’t like partners that are too dominant, but we worked pretty well. Really, the only real competition I was counting on was Shaman Bengali.”

 

Tygra’s eyes widened for a second, but then he nodded. He too would have thought that Bengali could have been in line to be Jareid’s mate if the white tiger would have wanted. Saixa smiled and proceeded.

 

“But that’s in the past! A coincidence, called war, brought you here and now you two are mated. Nothing to be done about that, since neither of you chose to be in this situation. Like I said, I was disappointed, but I thought that I could continue having my fortuities encounters. I mean, come on, everyone was sure that Jareid would go on as always!”

 

She sighed. Tygra was a bit uncomfortable.

 

“However, he didn’t. I confess I was shocked. Never before had Jareid rejected me, and suddenly he just stood there and gave me the proverbial finger. Twice! One of them I was completely naked in front of him, let me tell you.”

 

Tygra blushed again and groaned. Why him?

 

“I was very angry. I even went and told my parents about Jareid’s rejection. And you know what happened? They scolded me! Dad made me promise that I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your mating! I was beyond upset!”

 

Tygra felt shocked. It was weird. This didn’t sound entirely like a complaint. He reminded himself to not lose track of Saixa’s movements. He still didn’t know what she expected to achieve with telling him all this.

 

“I had a long chat with my parents. They pointed out a few things that I had frankly overlooked. To get to the point, they made me see why Jareid has to have you with him. I was a bit sceptical, but I’ve been observing the prince more attentively, and I can’t deny that he has changed so much. It’s creepy really, but apparently good and in everyone’s interest, so… Here is where I have to appeal to you.”

 

Tygra was feeling a bit scared. Saixa didn’t seem to want to attack him, but he wasn’t sure of what exactly she wanted.

 

“I… mmmh… I think I’m not getting it…”

 

“Listen, I have certain goals in life, but very limited choices to accomplish them. I was raised to be a proper lady and a courtesan, and as such there are certain expectations that are not to my liking. My mother never allowed me to have any training for the forces, or try the test to be a Shaman, or have any other studies than those related to housekeeping and the basic education. She said a proper lady couldn’t be too independent. It’s not becoming for a lady of the palace to know how to fight or how to handle a weapon. A lady only has to know how to manage a house and how to look pretty and proper in front of guests, never mind that she has a limited choice of themes to make conversation. I, of course, read some books behind her back, and I started to get laid at fifteen, just to spite her.”

 

For a moment Tygra sympathized with her. The noble families tended to be very strict in the roles the female and male should follow. Sometimes they were ridiculous in the ways they enforced the raising of their cubs.

 

“On the other hand, my family had always been ambitious. I have to be a lady of the court, and a highly respected one. My mother’s definition of success is for me to find a mate of noble birth whose family has a higher standing than ours. My father insists in that the social standing that we already have should not be lost, and is starting to pressure me to mate before I hit thirty.

 

“When they learned about my affair with Jareid, they didn’t bat an eye. It was a scandal, yes, but it was Jareid. Father even tried to betroth us. He was furious when the king said that he was not betrothing his son, unless Jareid asked for it. Of course, Jareid wasn’t interested.”

 

She chuckled and Tygra shook his head in incredulity. Jareid really had been given too much leeway in the palace.

 

“I thought for a time that it’d be better if I stopped looking for Jareid. But to be frank, he was the best prospect for mate. At least for me. Not only he’s the heir, and future king and head of the clan. He also didn’t give a damn if I kept flirting with whoever I wanted to. He couldn’t care less if I was a proper lady or not, and he had no interest in dictate what I was supposed to do with my free time. Jareid had never seriously looked for a mate, but he’d have had to choose one sooner or later. I’m totally convinced that he’d have chosen his mate on a pure convenience basis. I was striving to be the most convenient choice. I was also perfectly aware that there’d be no fidelity or love between us, and I even considered the role of concubine. I’d still have social standing, and no obligation to find a ‘proper’ mate.”

 

Tygra nodded. It was a sound plan. Many females in the palace and some males had had some variation of it. But this was the first time that he heard it described aloud as it was. A plan. Not a dramatic tale of lost love and treachery. It surprised Tygra the fact that Saixa had been the only one of Jareid’s lovers that didn’t fancy themselves deeply in love with the prince, and/or convinced that Jareid was equally in love with them. In a way that made him more open to the jaguaress.

 

“Then, you came into the picture and moved things around. I wasn’t too worried. I figured I’d stick to the role of consort. It’s really more appealing for me. A consort doesn’t have the duty to give the king an heir, though is expected to help in the raising. I wouldn’t mind that. Now though, I’m encountering problems that I didn’t expect. The bigger one is that Jareid is not the same.”

 

Tygra sighed. Here it came. The real rant. He should be used by now.

 

“The Jareid I knew would never have rejected a naked cat from his bed. The Jareid I knew didn’t have any idea of what fidelity means! I couldn’t believe that he had changed so much until he ejected me out of his office. But now, I have thought things through. Jareid is acting more like a responsible adult; I suppose maturity caught up to him at last, so I should act differently too. I was raised a courtesan, I know how to adapt. So, here’s the deal. I’m not giving up on Jareid yet. He’s my only chance to not having a stuck up mate who’d want me a recluse in the house or at our rooms, looking pretty for the walls and the service. I want to be a consort.”

 

Tygra raised an eyebrow. He felt very weird.

 

“Why are you telling me this?”

 

“You’re Jareid’s mate. You are important to him. I really have no idea how you did it, maybe it’s just a phase, but for the first time in ages, Jareid actually cares for his partner. For you. And it’s you the one I need to get on Jareid’s good graces again.”

 

Tygra gaped at her. The nerve of the woman! This was not your average ‘Lady of the court.’

 

“What?”

 

“Look, at the moment Jareid is not going to give me even a second glance. That much is perfectly clear, but there is still something I can use to get him interested again. That is the fact that you need to have an heir before the year is over, or there’d be no more mating. Now, I know that he wants you to carry him, and that would be ideal, but you haven’t been successful so far, do you?”

 

Tygra was uncomfortable again, but he saw no reason to deny the truth. He made a quiet gesture of agreement. Saixa grinned.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with you. It’s only that you’re young. A successful male pregnancy is hard enough as it is, it becomes harder the younger the carrier is. Ideally they would have let you finish your growth, but the terms of your mating combined with Jareid’s personality don’t give much choice. It’s safer if you have a female carrier, both for you and the cub, and it won’t interfere with the mating. I want you to consider me for the job.”

 

Tygra blinked, utterly baffled at her request.

 

“Why are you asking me? Jareid is really the one that is taking the decision. He is the one insisting on not having a consort. He is the one with the choice anyway. He is the dominant.”

 

“Oh, sweet. I don’t think you have an idea of how much power you have over Jareid right now.”

 

Tygra gaped incredulously at her.

 

“Sorry?”

 

“Dear, Jareid is well and truly besotted with you! I’ve never seen him like that! I mean, he let you bite his neck! I haven’t noticed it until father pointed it out. He’s crazy for you! Believe me, whatever you ask of him, he’s going to give you. Anything!”

 

Tygra shook his head in bewilderment.

 

“I don’t think it’d work.”

 

“Trust me. If you ask him to find a carrier for your cub he’d do it. He’s pretty much worried about you now. I’ve been observing you both.”

 

“But, I thought you weren’t interested in having cubs?”

 

“Well, it’s not going to be ‘mine.’ It’s going to be your cub. That’s why I’m seeing it as a job. I can help you to raise him, and I can provide milk for it. Even if Jareid doesn’t want to recognize me as a consort, I’d have been the carrier of his cub, and socially it’d be almost the same. If I don’t want to find a mate, no one would open their mouths about it.”

 

Tygra looked at the jaguaress, considering her in a new light. All that she wanted was to be rid of the expectations her social standing had placed on her. It had been the most honesty that Tygra had gotten from anyone in the court.

 

He bit his lower lip. He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t sure he wanted a carrier at all, and he didn’t know her enough to consider her as a suitable option. He wasn’t even sure if she was being sincere. Saixa seemed to guess his dilemma and smirked at him.

 

“Just think about it sweet. You still have time before your next try, I think. We should get to know each other better. How about that? I’d love to chat with you some more! No one says we can’t be friends.”

 

Tygra ended up accepting her offer to talk again. He even promised to think about her proposition. Maybe he’d talk with Jareid about her. She was exuberant and stubborn, but maybe he could get on with her.

 

The only thing he was still uncomfortable about, was that he wasn’t sure anymore if he really minded Jareid picking up a consort or not.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was on his puff that evening, reading a book with Snarf at his side.

 

It was odd. Lately the little critter had taken to wait for him at the door of his rooms and curl up with him while he read or worked on his desk. The pet wouldn’t leave his side until Jareid would arrive. Tygra had asked Lion-O if he had put Snarf to it, but his brother had denied any part on the pet’s actions. The tiger figured that Snarf just liked his set of rooms, and let the pet be. He was getting used to the creature’s company.

 

He was focused on his reading when Jareid arrived and pulled the book from his hands.

 

“Hey! I was reading that!”

 

“Was. Is in the past.”

 

Tygra pouted and Jareid kneeled beside the puff in such a way that his head was looming over Tygra’s.

 

“Say, someone told me that Saixa spoke to you. Is that true?”

 

“Well, yes.”

 

Jareid’s eyes narrowed and he snarled.

 

“Did she attack you in any way?”

 

“No. She rather explained how she had to change her big plan to be the next queen because of me.”

 

“But she didn’t insult you or try to belittle you.”

 

“No. Actually, I think she’s the only one of your lovers that has acknowledged me as your mate.”

 

“Past lovers. All of them are in the past, where they belong.”

 

He kissed his tiger tenderly and started to massage the teen’s neck.

 

“So, she didn’t lie and told you how much in love she is with me?”

 

“No. Though she did say that you rejected a very naked her once.”

 

“Well, I did. She doesn’t smell right anymore. She’s not you.”

 

Jareid continued trailing kisses along Tygra’s jaw and neck. The teen purred. It felt rather nice to be pampered so much.

 

“You still smell delicious.”

 

“Nnn… It’s been three weeks since I stopped taking the hormones. My odour should be back to normal.”

 

“Normally, you smell delicious for me.”

 

Suddenly, Jareid closed his arms around Tygra and lifted him out of the puff, sucking the tiger’s neck at the same time.

 

“Aw! Damn it, Jareid!”

 

“Mine… only mine…”

 

Jareid took Tygra to the bed to continue grooming him. Snarf stretched out and then decided to continue sleeping on the puff. No one in the room seemed to mind anyway.

 

&&&&&&

 

Jareid sat at the edge of his desk in his office, an annoyed scowl on his face. He did not appreciate Saixa trying to manipulate Tygra, and he intended to let the jaguaress know it. His mate had told him what the female wanted, and though Jareid had been impressed that she had been clever enough to approach the tiger, he also was furious she had done it behind his back. She had waited the entire year to make her move, why couldn’t she have stayed quiet?

 

Tygra had not gotten too involved with the court, preferring to evade the gossip as much as he could. Jareid would keep him away from every one of the nobles if possible, but he was aware that his mate had to learn the comings and goings of the court eventually. As much as Jareid would like his tiger free of the nobles’ influence, reality was that he had to gain those nobles’ favour to rule them without problems.

 

In a way, Saixa could be useful. She was not only a member of one of the most renowned families. She also knew the court and how to move in it. She was skilful with her tongue and always managed to move around gossip and even direct it in the way she wanted. She also knew enough politics and diplomacy to make the most pompous males nervous and wary in her presence. She was a female that liked power and had a strong enough will to fight for it. Many males felt threatened in front of her.

 

Jareid had honestly never understood why the males of the court were freaked out around Saixa. Sure, she was more direct and dominant than the other ‘ladies’ of the court, but she was still a female. An interesting one at that. She had been his favourite not only for her skills in bed, but also because she could actually talk about other things apart from empty romance dreams and gossip. If Jareid had ever found himself pressured to find a mate he’d have chosen her, solely for the fact that she was the only one of his past lovers that he found tolerable to be around outside of the bedroom.

 

But that would never be the case anymore. He had been given his tiger. He had established a family of his own and was working to create a deeper bond between himself and his mate. One that would include their future cubs. He won’t have interference in any way! And Saixa was smart enough to pose a real danger.

 

The jaguaress entered the office and walked with her usual confidence towards the desk. Even when she could see that her prince was definitely not happy, she maintained her posture. She was not going to be put down. Her only chance to get what she wanted was to stand up to Jareid. She was not one of those grovelling idiots that thought that they’d get on their prince’s good graces by letting him walk all over them. Neither was she afraid of Baal’s retribution if Jareid complained about her. She had realized that crude honesty worked better with the prince than empty praises.

 

Jareid was already growling lowly when she stopped in front of him, respecting an ample circle of personal space, for safety purposes.

 

“So, your servant told me that you wanted to see me. Have you changed your mind?”

 

“I only want to make one thing clear Saixa. Stay away from Tygra!”

 

“Oh dear, are you jealous?”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous! I know you’re not flirting with him. Not in a sexual way at least. If I had the barest suspicion that you were, I’d have taken out your heart by now! What I don’t want is you getting ideas into his head! I’ve told you before, I don’t want a consort! So get that into your thick skull already!”

 

“Fine, not a consort. But what about a carrier?”

 

“We don’t need a carrier for our cub!”

 

“Really? Jareid, are you even looking at your mate? I know you’re stubborn, but what is going to take for you to see that he’s too young to be pregnant?”

 

“He’s strong enough!”

 

“It’s not a matter of strength! Look Jareid, you know what I want. You’ve always known what is my goal, and what I’m willing to do to achieve it. I only want to make a deal. I want to help you both.”

 

“We don’t need any help Saixa.” Jareid hissed, but the jaguaress insisted.

 

“It’s been three months Jareid. He has had three miscarriages already. Do you have any idea of how much that can hurt?”

 

“He’s recovering quickly. He has already rejoined hunter’s training.” He didn’t mention how much he himself had fought against the very idea of Tygra putting foot into the jungle so soon after the third miscarriage. He didn’t want to give Saixa any more ammunition; she certainly didn’t need it.

 

“I’m not talking about physical damage, though that can too be severe. I’m talking about his mind.”

 

Jareid felt a bit disturbed that Saixa had mentioned Bengali’s concern. He only snarled at the idea, but he knew he could not dismiss it.

 

“Losing a cub is devastating, Jareid. Even if he’s trying to detach himself from the procedure, he’s not going to be able to put it aside completely.”

 

“He has not been really pregnant yet. The shamans said that the bunch of cells had never even implanted.”

 

“That may be true, but the ‘ _bunch of cells_ ’ has been inside him. Maybe he hasn’t had enough time to bond with those cells, but the point is that he hasn’t managed to keep them inside long enough for them to develop into a real cub.”

 

Jareid growled again. It pissed him off that Saixa could understand the situation so well. The female risked a couple of steps forwards.

 

“Let him grow up and mature Jareid. I’m sure he’d be able to carry more cubs when he has reached his full growth. Meanwhile, you only need this first cub to prevent the Thunderians from trying to get him back. It doesn’t really matter who carries the cub, only that it is your son. Yours and Tygra’s.”

 

Jareid turned away. He didn’t want to. His fantasy had always been having cubs with his mate. A carrier would mean another person to include in the first years of their cub. It was interference for him. But he could not deny that he was worried about Tygra. Saixa sighed.

 

“Look, just consider it. I promise I’d give you the cub with no attachments involved. I won’t interfere with the raising if you don’t want me to. You know I only need to climb a bit more in the social ladder. That’d be enough for me.”

 

Of course. That was all Saixa had ever wanted. Social status. To climb high enough to be seen as unobtainable. High enough for her parents, and the rest of her family, to consider a disadvantage to mate her to a noble that would unavoidably be below her, and stop pestering her. Jareid only grunted and crossed his arms. Saixa turned around to leave.

 

“My offer is open Jareid. Just have in mind that time is passing by. If Tygra gets pregnant it’d only be six months before the cub has to be born, but a female will last the entire seven months of gestation. Think about it.”

 

She was gone with the same air of confidence she had entered with. Jareid leaned back and supported himself on his extended arms. He didn’t like the idea. He didn’t want any carrier, but the fact was that he might have to consider the possibility.

 

But beyond what he wanted, there was one little detail that Saixa had not noticed. She didn’t know Tygra, and all her deductions were the result of good observation. Jareid though, knew his tiger enough to have pointed out some of Tygra’s quirks. He knew that one of the tiger’s major issues was his fear of failure. No matter how much stress it’d imply, if Tygra ended up not being able to carry this first cub, Jareid was sure that it’d only mean a big failure for his mate.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The end of the next week found Tygra anxious. He had been feeling weird the past days, restless and moody. A week ago, Bengali had frowned at his hormonal profile and had said that it wasn’t at normal levels yet. He still had female hormones in his blood and Bengali hadn’t liked it. However, Tygra had said that he was fine, and had not been having any troubles, so the white tiger had decided to wait for the month to finish to do another scan before he alarmed the entire palace.

 

Tygra had told his teammates that his pheromones were still crazy and they had relaxed, but the protective behaviour didn’t go away. Even Kab had joined in, and wouldn’t let Tygra do anything strenuous or overly dangerous after the ‘bait exercise’.

 

Jareid had been very caring, and Tygra had found himself itching for his mate’s touch. He couldn’t explain that sudden need. He only knew that as soon as his mate was close he wanted to be hugged, and kissed, and touched. It was almost as if he were finally feeling the symptoms of being in heat. He didn’t like that notion, because it meant that his hormones were not back to normal, besides the fact that he wasn’t fond of the idea of being _in heat_.

 

He sighed, touching his navel as he walked down the hall. He had been waking up with an upset stomach for three days in a row, and had lost his appetite at breakfast. That kind of worried him. He couldn’t be getting sick. Not with a strange female organ inside him and female hormones running through his bloodstream. There was no way to tell how his body would react if he fell ill.

 

Alas, he hoped that Bengali could give him good news the next day. His body had to be stabilized and well enough to try the implantation again in two weeks. Male pregnancies lasted around six months, but Tygra was aware that time was running short for them.

 

He continued walking almost absently down the hall when a known female voice called him.

 

“Hey Tygra, sweet! Wait for me!”

 

The tiger prince sighed and turned around to look at Saixa running towards him. The girl had not given up, even after Jareid’s threats and warnings for her to stay away. She met with Tygra in the halls of the palace almost every day. The tiger didn’t mind too much. She was good company. She knew how politics around the palace and the court worked and every single member of the noble families. If she had been a male she’d have already been prepared to take her father’s place in the council. Tygra had found her talks interesting and her ideas realistic. She really should have been a councillor.

 

Both of them were slowly warming to each other, but Jareid still didn’t like the idea of her spending too much time with Tygra. He demanded every night to be told exactly what Saixa had talked about with his tiger. Tygra had assured his mate that they only talked about politics and other diplomatic things. The subject of cubs had not been mentioned again. Jareid would only growl and mumble under his breath.

 

Tygra had the impression that Saixa was starting to act a bit odd around him. Almost like an older sister, but he couldn’t be sure.

 

He shook his head to rid it from that notion and looked at the female already in front of him.

 

“Hey sweet! Back from training already? It’s still early!”

 

Tygra scoffed and looked out one of the windows at the sun still high in the sky.

 

“Yeah, well. Lieutenant Kab decided that I shouldn’t be swimming in the river for now. I don’t know what’s gotten into him!”

 

Saixa’s nostrils moved minutely and she cocked her head to the side.

 

“Well, you do smell a bit off. Must be the hormones still rampaging in your system. Are you feeling all right?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine! I’m perfectly fine! Why everyone keeps asking me the same question? What do I smell like?”

 

Saixa leaned closer and sniffed. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

 

“I’d say you smell of Jareid. But there’s something else there. I can’t really put my finger on it.”

 

“Great!” He said in frustration. He really hoped that Bengali could fix whatever the problem was. Just then, another voice was heard in the hall and both cats turned towards it.

 

“Saixa! I told you to back off!”

 

“Oh, Jareid! We’re only talking, that’s not a crime! Isn’t he allowed to have friends?”

 

Jareid was about to throw in her face that friendship was not what she wanted, when Tygra all but hung himself from the jaguar’s neck and started to purr. Jareid instantly calmed down and looked in confusion at a very amorous Tygra, who was rubbing his face on the older prince’s neck.

 

“What did you do to him?”

 

“Hey, don’t look at me! He was perfectly fine until you arrived! And what are you complaining about? Surely he shows affection once in a while. Even to you.”

 

Jareid bared his teeth at her.

 

“Yes! But never in public.”

 

Tygra was always berating him whenever he so much as kissed him in public. And now it was the tiger the one that was all over him! Quite literally.

 

“It can be a side-effect of the hormones.” Said Saixa. Jareid frowned.

 

“He’s not taking them anymore.”

 

“That does not mean they are entirely gone from his system.”

 

Jareid cocked his head and considered it. It had been a month, but Bengali had asked for six weeks for Tygra’s metabolism to go entirely back to normal. Besides, Tygra still had that delightful smell around him. It was not driving Jareid crazy anymore; something had changed about it. But the fact was that it was still there.

 

“It could be… Ow! Tygra!”

 

The tiger was nibbling Jareid’s neck and trying to climb on the jaguar’s body. The older prince was very amused, but as much as he was enjoying his mate’s antics, he knew that the tiger was going to be very ashamed later. He lifted Tygra a little, holding his waist, and grabbed the nape of the stripped neck to stop the teen for a moment.

 

“Are you aware that Saixa is right here in front of us?”

 

Tygra growled and shook his head to free himself from Jareid’s grasp. His legs went up and around the jaguar’s waist and he got a firmer hold on his mate’s shoulders.

 

“She can go find her own mate.” He declared and then kissed Jareid’s lips passionately.

 

The jaguar prince’s confusion lasted a second. Then, he adjusted his hold on Tygra’s hips and started to walk as Tygra continued kissing his jaw and nibbling his ear.

 

“You heard him Saixa. Now, if you excuse us.”

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“Where do you think? This is too good an opportunity to let it pass!”

 

The jaguaress looked with a mixture of amusement and envy as Jareid walked away carrying Tygra. Then, she turned around, shaking her head in bewilderment.

 

&&&&&&

 

Tygra eventually regained his senses and was ashamed and embarrassed as hell at the way he had acted. Jareid assured him that Saixa didn’t mind. He even brought the jaguaress to Tygra’s room to tell the tiger that there hadn’t been a problem. Tygra just groaned and hid in the bedroom’s puff. Saixa left, telling Jareid that it was the hormones, and that he should let Tygra be.

 

The jaguar prince was confused at the tiger’s behaviour. He talked to Bengali, but the shaman told him the same as Saixa, to let Tygra be. Even when the tiger absolutely refused to show his face at dinner. Tygra was very put out at his public behaviour and decided that Bengali better find a solution, or he wasn’t going out of his rooms ever again!

 

Jareid thought that he was exaggerating, but wisely, for once, kept his mouth shut and enjoyed dinner in his rooms with his mate.

 

The next morning, Jareid woke up with Tygra cuddling in his arms. He kissed and started to groom the tiger’s head, purring softly. Tygra had an appointment with Bengali to check his hormones’ levels and had begged Jareid to leave him alone for it. Jareid hadn’t liked the idea, but he had many things that needed to be done, so he had had to concede under the promise that Bengali would tell him immediately if something was amiss.

 

Tygra started to purr under his mate’s attentions and Jareid smiled. His tiger had been acting weird, but as long as that weirdness included to be aroused by Jareid’s presence, the jaguar didn’t mind so much. Though he was concerned that Tygra was also suffering anxiety attacks from time to time, and heat spells that made the tiger sweat and felt like he was being cooked alive. He really didn’t like the fact that Bengali was worried and trying to not show it. He wanted to know what was wrong with his mate.

 

He hugged his tiger tightly and Tygra mumbled something unintelligible. Then, the youth groaned and took a hand to his stomach. Jareid was instantly alarmed and moved to loom over Tygra as the teen opened his eyes, woken by whatever discomfort had hit him.

 

“Tygra? What’s the matter? Are you in pain?”

 

The tiger groaned and made an uncomfortable gesture. Both hands were on his stomach and started to rub circles to soothe himself.

 

“Not pain… I just feel nauseous.”

 

Jareid went to find a glass of water and helped Tygra to drink. The teen calmed down, feeling better, and cuddled again against Jareid’s side. His left hand never left his stomach and Jareid hugged him with one arm while with his other hand he started to play with the short mane. Tygra was purring again in no time. Jareid loved to have Tygra content and relaxed with him, but he was worried about the youth’s health.

 

“Maybe you caught a stomach bug?”

 

Tygra sighed and barely shook his head.

 

“Don’t think so… My stomach just feels funny on the mornings. I’m not throwing up, or have any other problems.”

 

“And the fever spells?”

 

“They only happened twice. Ben says that they are an effect of the hormones. Though he also says that I shouldn’t have them. I think I’m confusing him as hell.”

 

“Well, he better know how to fix it.”

 

“Don’t be mad with Ben. He’s helping me so much.”

 

“I know.” He kissed Tygra’s forehead tenderly. “I just worry about you. A mate does that.”

 

“You exaggerate when you worry. That’s not good.”

 

“Let me be.” Jareid tightened his hold a little and Tygra moaned. “I finally have you. I’m not letting you go for anything.”

 

The tiger sighed and rubbed his stomach absently, thinking about a cub that he might never have. Suddenly a sob escaped him, and Jareid looked down at him in alarm.

 

“Tygra? What’s wrong?”

 

The teen sniffed, pretty much embarrassed now.

 

“I… I don’t know, I just… feel so weird… Jareid, what if I can’t have a cub? What happens then?”

 

Jareid moved and took Tygra’s head into his hands, looking directly at the brilliant brown eyes.

 

“You’re scared.”

 

Tygra gulped. He couldn’t say anything, he just pressed his lips and tried to get himself under control. Jareid kissed him desperately and then held him tightly against the broader chest.

 

“You belong with me. I’d never allow anyone to take you away!”

 

Tygra couldn’t suppress a sob. He didn’t know why he was suddenly so afraid to be sent back to Thundera. To a family and a kingdom that would be disappointed in him. To be his brother’s shadow again. Jareid kissed his head and his hold became almost desperate.

 

“Just try it this one more time. Just one more time. If it doesn’t make it, I’d get a carrier for us. I promise.” Saixa was right after all. It didn’t matter who got to carry the cub. Only that it was theirs.

 

Tygra nodded. No turning back. Jareid was his family now. Whether he had wanted it or not. And he had realized that he didn’t want his efforts to be for nothing. He had struggled long enough to fit with Jareid. They were not changing the rules on him now.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra sat on the examination table while Bengali frowned at his results for the hormone profile. The white tiger didn’t look happy and Tygra was getting worried.

 

“You told me that you’re waking up because your stomach feels uncomfortable?”

 

“More like I want to be sick. But I never actually throw up. It’s just the sensation.”

 

Bengali sighed and put the results down.

 

“You have pregnancy hormones in your bloodstream.” He confessed bluntly. Tygra blinked at him in astonishment.

 

“Sorry?”

 

“You have the hormone profile of someone pregnant. I waited for the week to pass because I thought that there could be something wrong with the machine. It has been a while since the last maintenance for the equipment. But the results haven’t changed.”

 

Tygra looked owlishly at his friend. He didn’t know what to feel.

 

“… But… How? I mean… You ‘cleaned’ me up the last time. You said I had nothing left inside me.”

 

“We didn’t ‘clean’ you up. We didn’t cut your navel open and scrubbed your insides meticulously! We only provided the channel that your body lacks, so the blood that was pooling in your womb could be drained. We used the scanner to be sure that all the liquid was gone, but we didn’t disturb the womb anymore than that.”

 

Tygra fidgeted nervously on his seat.

 

“So… what does it means?”

 

“You are producing pregnancy hormones, so one of the embryos must have implanted after all. We should verify with the scanner, but at this stage it’d be difficult to see if it’s in fact developing, as it should, or just growing in size and not really differentiating. There’s still the chance that your body is playing tricks with us.”

 

Tygra bit his lips and his hands went to cover his belly.

 

“But the lining was shed. If I were a female I would have menstruated. Isn’t that harmful for the… embryo?” He resisted the urge to say cub. Bengali sounded as if he still doubted the results. The shaman shook his head.

 

“It’s a possibility, but it does happen on occasion. Some females still have their cycle, even pregnant. Though it’s very rare. I think the reason why your womb wouldn’t stabilize was that you were under a lot of pressure, and we never stopped giving you the hormones. We should have given you more time to adjust, but Xiar wanted to hurry. Baal has been very insistent and that puts the High Shaman on edge.”

 

Tygra nodded and started rubbing circles on his stomach.

 

“So… what now?”

 

Ben smiled reassuringly at him.

 

“We have to confirm that there is in fact a developing embryo inside you. Let’s wait until the six weeks are over, so we’d have a better chance to distinguish how’s it doing. It should be a foetus already.”

 

Tygra felt calmer and smiled. Bengali patted his back.

 

“It’s going to be fine. You’d see. Do you want to call Jareid?”

 

Tygra’s eyes widened and he shook his head.

 

“No, I… Maybe we should wait? Just until you can confirm with the scanner?”

 

“Is there something wrong?” Ben asked, one eyebrow rose in concern.

 

“No, just… Well, Jareid is worried about me, and I think he wants this to work so much more than me. I don’t want to give him false hopes. Besides, I’m doing the normal training. He’s going to flip if he realizes I could have been pregnant all this time!”

 

“Oh, yes. The training. That could be a problem. Fortunately there hadn’t been any bad incidents.”

 

Bengali sighed, and thought about the jaguar prince. Jareid was going to be over the moon if Tygra was indeed pregnant, but that meant that he also was going to be fastidiously overprotective. Even more than he already was. There was also the fact that Tygra was going to have to be more careful with his activities. Exercise was good, but the hunter’s training was exhaustive.

 

“We won’t tell anyone for now. In only two weeks the High Shaman is going to order to take your studies again before we start with the hormones. I’d tell him my suspicions then and we’d do the scan to confirm them.”

 

“Ok.”

 

“Until then though, I’m afraid that you’d have to leave training.”

 

Tygra’s ears went down.

 

“Do I have to? I’m feeling fine.”

 

“I don’t doubt it. Further more, I believe that going back to your routine helped to relax you. But a male pregnancy is always a high risk one, and we shouldn’t take any chances.”

 

Tygra sighed and rubbed his navel. He couldn’t deny that he had experienced some nuisances during training.

 

“Jareid is going to ask what’s wrong. What if I just join them to watch and do some exercise? They have been acting protectively around me anyway, and they won’t let me do anything exhausting.”

 

“Really? I suppose their instinct is calling to them. But it has to be very light exercise Tygra! You are to stop the moment you feel any discomfort and come to tell me, ok?”

 

Tygra nodded. If there really was a cub inside him, he was responsible for its well-being. He couldn’t go around endangering his own cub. Both tigers went out of the clinic, so Bengali could inform Lieutenant Kab about what exactly Tygra should and shouldn’t do in training.

 

 


	15. Crisis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

 

Jareid was reviewing some assignments for the city guard, trying to distract himself from worrying. In just two more days Tygra was going to start taking the hormones again, and this time around it seemed that it was Jareid the one that was climbing over the walls in anxiety. In a way that was good. Tygra was more relaxed and collected, and Jareid had been told that his mate’s calmer state would make the procedure easier. So, Jareid didn’t mind being the one nervous enough to not eat, so long as Tygra was in good disposition to try the implantation again.

 

Another good thing, on Jareid’s point of view, was that Tygra was acting more affectionate towards him. The tiger attached himself to Jareid’s arms, or waist, every time they were together, thus allowing Jareid to show his possessiveness more, even in public. Their extended family had been surprised at the change in behaviour, but Jareid didn’t mind and hadn’t given it much thought. He was happy that Tygra was finally at ease with him touching and being playful wherever they were. The tiger had even started sexual activities on the bed once or twice! That was proof enough for Jareid that Tygra no longer felt forced into their mating. They were becoming a real family.

 

Jareid smiled. Soon they’d had their cub and no one would get the chance to take Tygra away. The tiger was the best thing that had happened in Jareid’s life, and he’d kill whoever tried to separate them.

 

The prince returned to the papers in front of him without paying much attention to them. His mind continued wandering back to Tygra and hypothetic cubs. He was aware that many cats in the court didn’t believe he’d be a good parent and were expecting Tygra to do all the job, but he’d show them. Who said they could talk anyway? Jareid could mention a few whose parental skills were less than impressive. All he needed was to have his tiger by his side and everything would work out just fine.

 

The jaguar prince was very distracted between work and his own thoughts. The last thing he expected was an angry Saixa storming into his office with murder in her eyes and yelling at him. He was shocked for a few seconds before he began to understand what the female was screaming at the top of her lungs.

 

“How dare you! You promised me Jareid! The one good thing about you was that you kept your promises! How could you not even tell me?! We had a deal!”

 

Jareid stood up because Saixa was getting dangerously close to him and he didn’t like to be in disadvantage. He had always laughed at the male courtesans that felt intimidated by Saixa, but now he could see their point.

 

“What’s gotten into you? What deal are you talking about?”

 

The woman all but growled at him.

 

“You very well know what deal! You promised me that I could be your carrier!”

 

Jareid snarled and stood face to face to the jaguaress.

 

“I told you that I would consider it. If Tygra wants to, and only _if_ this fourth try proves to be a failure! I’d ask him who he wants to carry our cub, but not yet Saixa! You’d have to wait!”

 

The woman stopped and her face changed to slight confusion.

 

“The fourth… Why is he even doing the fourth try? I thought you didn’t want him hurt anymore…”

 

“Look Saixa, I don’t want him hurt, he agreed to try it one last time. I don’t want anyone else involved in my family’s dealings! I told you that clear enough! Until Bengali says that Tygra can’t carry our cub I’m not considering any other option! I’d take your offer into account, just not until there’s no other choice! I have already told you this! I thought you were smarter!”

 

He expected her to bristle and start a new rant over she been intelligent enough. What he got instead was a stunned female, whose facial gestures were changing from confusion to comprehension, and then to fear.

 

“Saixa? Are you understanding me?”

 

He wished she’d answer. Any kind of reaction on her part would be welcome because the look she was giving him was, frankly, creepy.

 

“You are serious, aren’t you?” She asked. Jareid frowned.

 

“Of course I am! What the hell is your problem?!”

 

Saixa’s face now resembled a mask of confused terror. Jareid was getting impatient.

 

“You… You didn’t lay with Mai recently. Did you?”

 

“Mai? The commander’s daughter? I haven’t even seen her around for months!”

 

“Oooh, gods…”

 

Saixa paled as full comprehension settled into her. Jareid had had enough. He grabbed the girl’s wrist and snarled in her face.

 

“Saixa, tell me what’s going on, now!”

 

“Mai is talking to the king right now. She arrived some hours earlier, and has been telling the entire court that she’s pregnant, and that the cub is yours, I thought…”

 

“What?!”

 

Jareid roared and almost broke Saixa’s wrist. The female put her head down and yelled in panic.

 

“Don’t kill the messenger, Jareid! I have nothing to do with whatever Mai is doing! I swear!”

 

The prince roared louder and let go of the woman. He stalked out of the office in evident rage, leaving a trembling Saixa to sort herself out. She nursed her bruised wrist and breathed deeply.

 

“My goddess… I should have kept my mouth shut! I have to tell someone…”

 

She fumbled with her communicator until she could press the correct sequence of numbers.

 

“Sarai? Is Shaman Bengali there? … Could you please find him? It’s an emergency! … Tell him that prince Jareid is looking for Mai, and he’s beyond angry! … Please, it’s important that someone stops him!”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Bengali was in the lab, considering what to do. Xiar had instructed him to get everything ready to produce another embryo. In two days, they were supposed to check up Tygra, and if the analysis were in order, they’d start the hormone treatment again. Now, Bengali was almost sure that it’d not be necessary to try another implantation, but he wasn’t 100% sure. He was asking himself if he should get everything ready just in case, but it seemed pointless. Maybe he should tell the High Shaman what he had found and show him Tygra’s hormonal profile. They may reach a conclusion and stop losing time.

 

He sighed and opened the storage freezer for the semen samples. He could at least be sure that they were still viable. He opened the cases and counted. Then he frowned. He could have sworn that there had been three samples left for each parent. He didn’t have much time to think about it. Sarai entered the lab at that moment with a worried frown in her face.

 

“Shaman Bengali, I just got a call from Lady Saixa. She said something about prince Jareid being very angry and looking for Lady Mai. She sounded very alarmed. She said that it was urgent that someone stops the prince.”

 

Bengali scowled and closed the freezer to turn towards the lab’s entrance.

 

“She said that Jareid was angry? Did she tell you why?”

 

“Well, no. But I suppose it’s because Lady Mai is telling everyone that she’s carrying the prince’s cub.”

 

Bengali stopped short and looked incredulously at the recently initiated shaman.

 

“She’s saying what?”

 

“She says that she’s pregnant, and she’s assuring that the cub is the prince’s.”

 

Bengali paled. It was definitely an emergency!

 

“Where’s Mai? Do you know?”

 

“Last thing I heard was that she was trying to talk to the king.”

 

“Oh, my.”

 

Bengali walked out of the lab, intent on finding the girl before Jareid, but he didn’t go too far. As soon as he exited the lab and entered the clinic’s area designed to take samples and run tests, the High Shaman entered by the door that opened to the waiting hall. Lady Mai, the king and the chief commander followed him. None of the males looked happy, but the commander seemed particularly upset.

 

“I can’t believe this. I can’t believe that you’d pull something like this! I told you to never set foot in the palace again!”

 

“You can’t keep me away from my love father! Much less now that I’m having his cub!”

 

“If you’re even pregnant!”

 

“I wouldn’t lie in something like this!”

 

“Enough!” Baal roared. His eyes fell on Bengali immediately.

 

“Has my son taken any of the suppressor?”

 

“No my king. Not since he mated with Tygra.”

 

One thing that Baal had demanded of Jareid was that he had to make sure that no cubs resulted from his sexual scandals. To that end, Bengali prepared him a beverage that diminished his sperm production to almost zero. It had allowed the prince to happily go around from cat to cat without fathering any offspring. It had also allowed Baal to deny any compromise with the families. The concoction didn’t have any secondary effects, and it had been the ideal solution to prevent situations like the one they were currently in.

 

Baal gritted his teeth. How could Jareid be so stupid? He knew what would happen if he fathered a cub out of the mating! It didn’t make sense! Jareid had been obsessed with Tygra since the moment the teen had boarded the ship to Ix-Maal. Why would he go looking for entertainment now?

 

Bengali looked at Mai with doubt.

 

“If she’s indeed pregnant, we can determine the paternity easily enough.”

 

“It is Jareid’s! You have just admitted that he hadn’t been taking any suppressor.”

 

“He hadn’t. But that’s because it’s no longer needed. He’s trying to have a cub with his mate after all.”

 

“Well, he was tired of waiting. He needs someone who can actually give him what he wants, and he came to me! You can do all the tests you want. Jareid is my cub’s father.”

 

“We need to determine first how long is she.” Said Xiar, who thought the whole affair was very suspicious.

 

“I’m thirty-eight days. Six weeks already.” She said happily. Xiar and Bengali scowled.

 

“And you of course are one hundred percent sure of this fact.” Said Bengali sarcastically.

 

“Of course! I went to one of the city’s Shamans immediately.” She bragged.

 

Bengali glanced behind towards Sarai who nodded and disappeared discretely through a door. Baal was still trying to put the pieces together. The commander suddenly asked to the room.

 

“Who else knows about this?”

 

Bengali sighed, thinking about what Sarai had told him.

 

“Almost the entire court, I bet.”

 

Baal paused and his ears stood up in alarm.

 

“Where’s Jareid?” He asked.

 

The commander was calling the royal guard when a commotion was heard outside the clinic. A moment later the door slid open and Jareid entered.

 

There wasn’t time for anyone to react. As soon as Jareid laid eyes on Mai, he launched himself towards her with a roar. He had her by the neck and against the wall before the king and the commander reacted and barely stopped him before he crunched the girl’s throat. As it was they weren’t able to pry him off Mai. Xiar and Bengali threw sleeping spells at him, but all they achieved was that Jareid’s hold lost some of its strength. He was too enraged for the magic to work on him fast enough. Someone injected a sedative to him and Baal and Myron finally could pull him away from the girl, who fell to the floor unconscious.

 

Two shamans went to attend Mai and Xiar ordered the rest to go back to their duties, as the commotion had attracted almost everyone in the wing. Baal called the two guards that appeared at the entrance, and ordered to take Jareid to his rooms.

 

“Lock the door for now. No one is allowed to enter! Not even Tygra! Xiar! Make sure to find the Shaman she consulted! I want her isolated until we can confirm the cub’s paternity! Myron! I want to know Jareid’s every move for the last two months!”

 

Everyone moved to obey the orders. Bengali made sure that Jareid was knocked out before they took him away, then he called Kab to tell him to keep an eye on Tygra, and to prevent the young tiger to return to the castle until Bengali went to look for him. After that he directed himself to Mai’s newly assigned room. They still had to confirm the pregnancy, and clear up why she was so sure that Jareid was the father.

 

Bengali didn’t believe for one moment that the prince had gone to her. Jareid had been focused on Tygra’s well-being for the last months. He had shown no interest in anyone else for more than a year! Something was definitely off.

 

One of the youngest Shamans was at the door of the room they had taken Mai in. Bengali frowned, recognizing one of Mai’s cousins.

 

“Thao, go back to your duties. I’m sure Lady Mai would be fine.”

 

“Mmm… yeah, I just… Prince Jareid was very angry, and I thought…”

 

“Don’t worry, he’s not going to get close to her any time soon. She should be safe. Though it’d have been better if she hadn’t started to spread lies.”

 

Thao wriggled his hands nervously.

 

“B-but… she’s not lying… she… she said that…”

 

Bengali looked more attentively at the anxious young cat. He was only four years older than Tygra, and was always quiet and very calm, even in the midst of a crisis. He was also very intelligent and discreet. That was one of the reasons he was part of the team tending to Tygra’s case. He had no reason to be this worried.

 

“What’s the matter Thao?”

 

“S-she… Shaman Bengali, I only wanted to help, I swear!”

 

Bengali was now alarmed. He put a hand on the young jaguar’s shoulder and looked at him directly.

 

“Thao, what did you do?”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was getting annoyed. The palace was in an uproar and no one wanted to tell him why. He had escaped Kab’s vigilance when the lieutenant had answered a call from one of their superiors. He was not going to wait for Bengali to pick him up; he was not a cub!

 

Every servant and some of the courtesans he had encountered had looked nervously at him. He had been trying to find someone who’d explain to him what was the problem, but the servants wouldn’t tell him anything. He couldn’t find his brother or Saixa anywhere. He didn’t want to go find Bengali and explain why he hadn’t waited for the tiger in Kab’s company in the first place, and Jareid wasn’t in his office, or anywhere he could tell! Finally, he had decided that he’d wait for his mate in their room, but now he found himself in front of two guards that wouldn’t allow him entrance. What the hell?

 

Huffing in annoyance, he turned around the corner to enter his own room, which was not blocked. Well, at least that meant that he wasn’t banned from the royal apartments. He looked around the room quickly, assessing that everything was as he had left it, though Snarf was not present.

 

Tygra shrugged and debated whether or not he should try to enter the master bedroom, via his hidden door. The guards had implied that Jareid was very dangerous at the moment, but hadn’t given him any reason for the supposed dangerousness. Tygra thought that they were exaggerating, but why would they lock Jareid in their rooms?

 

He huffed and decided that whatever had made Jareid angry had had enough time to pass. His mate should be calmer. Besides, he really wanted to know what was happening. He opened the door to Jareid’s study and entered. He gave two steps and then stopped and looked around him.

 

The place looked as if a tornado had been caught inside. Everything was thrown off and broken around, even the desk. The shelves had been demolished, and he could see parts of the computer littering what was left of the desk. He could see that the bedroom was in a similar condition and he didn’t want to check the sitting room. He couldn’t see Jareid.

 

Tygra gulped and advanced towards the bedroom. Maybe he should have waited for Bengali after all. He stood at the arch and looked around.

 

Like the study, everything was in complete chaos. His puff was the only thing that looked untouched. The window was also in one piece, but Tygra could see that it was due to the glass being unbreakable and not for lack of trying on Jareid’s part. He gulped, assessing the damage, and gave a couple of steps forward.

 

“Jareid?”

 

He heard a roar, and before he realized what was happening he was pulled and taken to the floor. He blinked and found himself technically under the bed, with Jareid’s bulk over him and turquoise eyes looking intently at his face. After some seconds, Jareid’s low growl stopped and he started to first sniff Tygra and then to lick his face and neck. Tygra tried to put his racing heart under control. This had been definitely a bad idea.

 

“Jareid? Please say something?” He said, afraid that his mate had been enraged enough to be feral. Jareid nipped his neck and then moaned in his ear.

 

“Ty… My tiger… mine… you’re here…”

 

Tygra released his breath in relief when Jareid started to speak somewhat coherently.

 

“Jareid, what happened?”

 

The growl returned and Jareid hugged Tygra tightly. The tiger gasped and almost missed Jareid’s verbal response.

 

“They’re not taking you away! I won’t let them!”

 

“Uggh… J-Jareid… I need to breath…”

 

Jareid loosened his embrace a little, but he didn’t release Tygra. The tiger didn’t know what he should do. Jareid was very upset and Tygra wasn’t sure if his mate was in any condition to explain what was going on. He debated with himself for a couple of minutes before a noise was heard and Bengali’s voice irrupted in his ears.

 

“Jareid?”

 

The jaguar’s growl intensified and he moved to confront the newcomer. Tygra straightened, but before he could do anything, Jareid held his arm and kept him from moving away.

 

“You’re not to believe anything they tell you!”

 

“What?”

 

Tygra was confused as hell. He needed someone to explain what was happening soon. Bengali appeared at the arch, looking around in concern. Jareid turned to him and growled menacingly. Ben stopped and his eyes widened when he spotted the orange tiger.

 

“Tygra?”

 

“Hi Ben.” Said the teen sheepishly. Jareid put himself between the two tigers. His entire posture tense and ready to attack at the minor provocation.

 

“Dammit Jareid, it’s me! I really need you to calm down, please! And now it seems I need to check if Tygra is ok too!”

 

“I’m fine Ben, but I’m not sure that Jareid is.”

 

Ben sighed and was about to risk a few steps closer to his prince, when Jareid suddenly roared and leaped forwards. Tygra tried to grab him, but he froze when he heard a shot. Belatedly, he realized that the two guards that had been stationed at the door of the rooms were now behind Bengali. One of them had a gun in his arm.

 

Tygra ran to Jareid’s side alarmed. He helped the jaguar prince to walk backwards and sit down on the bedside on a shredded mattress. He pulled the dart out of the jaguar’s shoulder and glared at it. It was a sedative, but Jareid hadn’t fell to the floor. He continued growling, evidently fighting the effects of the tranquilizer. Bengali was admonishing the guards.

 

“I told you to stay outside!”

 

“He was attacking you, Shaman Bengali.”

 

“He was more likely attacking _you_ , officer. You should have remained in your post!” He turned to look at Tygra. “And you aren’t supposed to be here!”

 

Tygra shrugged apologetically.

 

“They didn’t lock my room.”

 

“We didn’t know he could enter that way. We did mention though that prince Jareid was better left alone for a while.”

 

Bengali sighed and massaged his right temple.

 

“Well, maybe it’d be best if we leave him to sleep his anger off. Come Tygra.”

 

The young tiger moved, but Jareid’s hand held him by the wrist and wouldn’t let go. Tygra stopped and looked back at his mate, who was barely conscious, but still fighting tenaciously to keep his eyes open and pulling insistently at Tygra’s wrist. The tiger could shake free of Jareid’s grasp easily, but he saw the desperation in his mate’s eyes. He couldn’t leave him like that. Besides, Jareid would never forgive Bengali if he took Tygra away now. The youth sighed and turned to the Shaman.

 

“I think I’d stay, Ben. He’s going to be more upset if I leave.”

 

Bengali frowned.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Yeah, I’d be fine. He’s practically asleep now. I’m keeping him company.”

 

Bengali looked at Jareid and seemed to reach the same conclusion Tygra had.

 

“Ok then.”

 

“Sir…” Started one of the guards, evidently uncomfortable with the decision.

 

“It’d be all right officer. If Jareid had wanted to hurt Tygra, he’d have had plenty of time to do so. Now, go back to your posts.”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

Both guards disappeared and Tygra sighed in relief.

 

“Ben, what’s going on?”

 

“It’s a long story that we’re still clearing out. But we need Jareid coherent to discuss the situation with him, and the actions to be taken. For now he needs to relax and get under control again. Let’s get him lying down.”

 

Jareid growled reproachfully at Bengali, but allowed himself to be laid down on what was left of the mattress. Not that he could have done anything about it, he was losing the fight against the drug in his system. He however managed to keep his hold on Tygra’s wrist. The young tiger sat down and got himself as comfortable as he could on the bed, with Jareid’s head on his lap. He started to lazily comb the jaguar’s mane and Jareid started to purr, mostly asleep now.

 

“What happened to make him so angry?”

 

Bengali sighed, looking at the prince in concern.

 

“Lady Mai is pregnant. She told the entire court that the cub is Jareid’s and he didn’t like it.”

 

Tygra paused his hand motion on Jareid’s head and gaped at Bengali.

 

“Is that true?”

 

“Very likely. We still need to confirm it.”

 

Jareid moved and mumbled groggily.

 

“… ‘sss lying…”

 

Tygra resumed his grooming on his mate’s head and shushed him. Bengali sighed.

 

“Listen, Jareid never touched her. She has been banned from the palace for months now.”

 

“Then, how could she claim she’s with Jareid’s cub?”

 

“She managed to steal some of the semen samples we took from you two and kept on storage. We contacted the Shaman she came to for help, and he assured us that he inseminated her without knowing where the sample had come from.”

 

Tygra frowned. Jareid was silent now. He supposed that the sedative had finally won over.

 

“What’s going to happen now?”

 

“We’re still sorting that out. But don’t worry, we’d figure out a solution. Besides, we still have our own piece of news to consider.”

 

Ben winked in conspiration at him and Tygra put a hand over his belly. If he was with cub, it wouldn’t matter what Mai had done. His cub would still be the first to be borne. His bond with Jareid would be safe. He smiled and nodded to his friend. Bengali patted his shoulder and then left him to relax too.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The next morning, Tygra woke up in Jareid’s arms. It was raining again, and both cats were ensconced in a cocoon of light blankets on an improvised bed. Tygra groaned and rubbed his stomach to appease the uncomfortable feeling in it. He hated to feel nauseous. It killed his appetite.

 

Jareid moaned and kissed Tygra’s crown. The tiger almost smiled. The jaguar prince was back to normal, or what passed as ‘normal’ for him anyway.

 

Last evening, Tygra had been able to explain, to a barely recovering Jareid, what Bengali had told him about Mai. He had had a hard time getting his mate out of the resulting rage, before the jaguar prince had actually managed to make a dent in the window. Jareid had been furious and had only came back to his senses because Tygra had confessed his and Bengali’s suspicions about his own pregnancy. Jareid had sobered up for an entire five minutes before starting a rant about they not informing him as soon as they had known. Tygra could live with that. At least his mate had been thinking again, and had stopped destroying what had been left of the room. He didn’t envy the poor servant who would have to do the cleaning.

 

Tygra sighed as he felt his mate’s hand raking the fur on the back of his head and his neck. Gods above! It felt so good! He moaned and Jareid moved a bit so he could kiss his lips.

 

“I’m still mad at you and Ben for not telling me sooner.”

 

Tygra chuckled. In a way he was glad that _that_ was the first thing coming to Jareid’s mind. It meant that Mai’s treachery had lost a great deal of importance.

 

“We wanted to be sure first. We didn’t want you to go overboard without reason. I don’t want you to go overboard at all, but that may be impossible.”

 

“My friend and my mate are plotting against me. That kind of worries me.”

 

“We’re not plotting _against_ you. You’d be in a world of trouble if we ever do that!”

 

Jareid chuckled and proceeded to lick and nibble Tygra’s neck. He sucked at his mark, happy when he heard the tiger moaning.

 

“Mine. All mine.”

 

He moved again and kissed Tygra’s nose tenderly. Then he looked at the tiger’s brown eyes and caressed his cheek.

 

“My gift. Maybe not a God’s gift, but still perfect for me.”

 

Tygra blinked in confusion before he recognized his own words from months ago. He blushed fiercely and ducked his head down. Jareid chuckled and continued grooming and kissing the tiger’s head.

 

“My perfect gift. You’re more than enough for me.”

 

Tygra moaned in mortification.

 

“Please stop it. I’m very ashamed that I ever told that to you! I must have sounded pathetic!”

 

Jareid lifted his face and looked at him with a soft expression that Tygra had never seen before. Jareid kissed him softly, almost lovingly. Tygra sighed. For just a moment he wanted to believe that he was actually loved. Jareid’s lips were at his ear suddenly.

 

“Don’t think that. It was a moment of weakness. You were upset and needed the reassurance.”

 

He continued caressing and kissing Tygra from time to time. The tiger moaned in contentment and snuggled into his mate’s embrace. They remained like that for long minutes until the alarm in Tygra’s communicator sounded, reminding the tiger of the activities for the day. The youth sighed and started to move. Jareid pouted at him and Tygra couldn’t suppress a chuckle.

 

“As comfortable as I am here, we should re-join the land of the living, Jareid.”

 

“Why? We’re both happy here!”

 

“Yes, but I have to go to the Shamans’ wing, so Bengali and the High Shaman can confirm if I’m indeed pregnant.”

 

Jareid smiled and gave a quick kiss to Tygra’s nose.

 

“I’m sure you are.”

 

Tygra scrunched his nose and shook his head.

 

“Egocentric bastard. Nevertheless, we need the confirmation, and to put your parents’ fears at rest. We also need to be present at the meeting with your father, to see what’s going to happen with Mai’s cub.”

 

Jareid growled in anger. He couldn’t believe they were discussing what to do!

 

“I’ll kill her as soon as they tell me where they’re keeping her!”

 

Tygra looked worriedly at his mate, and put a hand on his chest to ground him.

 

“No Jareid. You’re not killing anyone. That’s not an adequate solution.”

 

“Why not? She’d be dead and gone, and the thing inside her too. No more problem!”

 

Tygra put a hand on his stomach protectively.

 

“Please Jareid. You can’t turn into a murderer. Killing is a horrible crime. A king can’t be a criminal. Besides, you’d be killing an innocent.”

 

“She’s no innocent!”

 

“But her cub is!”

 

“There’s no cub yet! Just an amorphous bunch of cells!”

 

“No! Jareid, please!” A tear went out of Tygra’s eye and down his cheek. Jareid immediately stopped whatever he had been about to say and tried to calm down.

 

“I’m sorry.” He said, embracing the young tiger. “I’m sorry, I’m just very angry, Tygra. She could have broken the bond. I can’t lose you because of her!”

 

“You’re not losing me. I’m here Jareid. Please, promise me that you’re going to keep your act together. You can’t go into a rage again. Not with a defenceless cub.”

 

Jareid sighed and kissed Tygra’s head one last time.

 

“I’d try. For you, I’d try my best to keep calm. But if they put her in front of me, I can’t guarantee that I won’t hurt her! I might just tear her to pieces right there!”

 

“I’m sure no one is going to risk that.”

 

Tygra kissed his mate’s mouth and sighed in acceptance.

 

“Thank you, Jareid.”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The meeting took place in the High Shaman’s office, because Baal didn’t want to attract more attention to the problem before he had a viable solution. He had toyed with the idea to simply make Mai disappear, but he’d bring the council down on him. The female had been sure to make everyone aware of her pregnancy, as well as the possible father. What she hadn’t counted on, was that every single cat in the court believed that the cub was Jareid’s and Tygra’s, not hers. That was because just a few really wanted the mating broken. The majority of the court wanted Jareid to keep his new attitude and becoming a good king. The court liked gossip, but they liked to have a prosperous kingdom more.

 

No one would question Baal if he decided to keep Mai hidden, but they’d demand explanations if he failed to present her cub after a reasonable time. That been told, he also had Xilara. The queen would never forgive him if he did something to get rid of the cub, even if it turned out to be the cause of Jareid’s mating to break. She was very sensitive on the subject.

 

They had investigated the facts and now had a clear knowledge of what had happened. It had left Baal with the unsavoury impression that there was not enough security in the Shamans’ wing, that the young generation lacked intelligence and common sense, and without his chief commander. Myron had been so ashamed by his daughter’s actions that he had renounced to his post. He had offered to take Mai away and make sure that no one would hear from either of them again. Baal had been tempted to accept that offer. If the entire court hadn’t been already aware of Mai’s pregnancy he might have let Myron to solve things his way. They still could deny Mai’s claim. They could say that it had been a false alarm and that the pregnancy hadn’t taken, but they would still need either the girl’s cooperation or a very good reason for her sudden absence.

 

Baal had spent hours the previous day discussing with Xiar their possibilities. They had kept coming to one conclusion. That cub had to disappear. It was a liability, and they couldn’t risk Claudus knowing of its existence. They could lie to the old lion about the cub’s parentage, but the Thunderian clerics would know the truth eventually. It’d cause more troubles than it was worth.

 

They needed to dispose of the cub somehow and deal with Mai in a way that she wouldn’t have the sympathy of the court or the citizens. Baal couldn’t be sure, but he could have bet that the female had alerted someone outside of the palace about her condition. Someone out there may be expecting an announcement from the king and might wonder what had happened to Mai. Maybe he was being paranoid, but they needed to cover all the possibilities. Xilara would never talk to him again, but he needed to do whatever was necessary for the stability of the kingdom. Jareid’s mental health was in jeopardy here. Even when Baal didn’t like to accept it, he could not deny that his son would be lost if they took Tygra away now.

 

Baal went to the meeting in a grim disposition. Xilara insisted on attending too, and he couldn’t convince her to wait for their resolution. She was determined to know every single detail of the case and help in the resolution. She won’t have any cub harmed, even if it wasn’t technically a born cub yet. He was pleased however to see both Jareid and Tygra there. He had hoped that his son would calm down enough to attend the meeting. He wasn’t aware that Tygra had helped, but was happy to see that the tiger’s presence was grounding Jareid somehow.

 

Xilara was pleased too. She noticed the tension on her son’s muscles and the hold he kept on Tygra’s waist. The young tiger looked a bit embarrassed, but he didn’t deny Jareid the comfort of the touch. He even leaned on his mate a little and the jaguar prince seemed to be trying to keep his focus on his mate.

 

Jareid greeted his parents and resisted the urge to demand to know Mai’s whereabouts. Tygra wanted him to respect the little wench’s life, so be it. He only needed to be sure that she was going to be dealt with and would not be a danger to his family. He tried to not fidget while they waited for the High Shaman and Bengali.

 

The commander arrived just moments behind them, and Jareid glared at him, wanting very much to tell him what he thought of the cat’s offspring. Granted, Myron wasn’t the only one at fault. He had been estranged from his mate for about five years. Well, if the mother was anything like the daughter Jareid could certainly sympathize with Myron, but the old cat should have gotten rid of both of them, not only one. Jareid looked again and narrowed his eyes. Myron was not wearing the commander insignia. He was about to ask his father what had happened when Xiar and Bengali finally appeared. Baal frowned at his High Shaman. It was not like Xiar to be late for a meeting.

 

“What took you both so long Xiar?”

 

“I beg your forgiveness your Majesty. Bengali has just told me something important. Before we make a decision, I think we should confirm his theory.”

 

He turned to the young couple and nodded to the tiger.

 

“Prince Tygra, if you’d be so kind to come to the clinic.”

 

Tygra nodded and both he and Jareid proceeded to follow Ben. Baal raised an eyebrow.

 

“What’s happening Xiar? Is something else wrong?”

 

“No. In fact, if Bengali is right, our problem might just have solved itself.”

 

He followed the three younger cats to the clinic. The remaining three soon were behind him, curious about what had happened.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

No force on Third Earth would have made Jareid leave Tygra’s side, so the Shamans didn’t even try. It was troublesome to get everything ready with Jareid getting in the way, and snarling at anything that dared to get too close to Tygra. Bengali ended up doing almost all the work, and the young tiger apologized profusely for his psycho mate. Jareid nipped Tygra’s ear for that comment, but stood protectively beside the examination bed as Ben shaved the fur on Tygra’s navel and applied some gel. The white tiger then put the scanner in place and Xiar could turn it on. A frizzy image appeared on the screen next to the bed and both Shamans made some adjustments and moved the scanner a bit to get a better view.

 

Tygra was very nervous and Jareid was so focused on trying to soothe him that it took a while for them to notice that both Shamans were suspiciously silent. Jareid finally turned to them to ask what was going on and was surprised to look at the cats’ stunned faces. Was Bengali actually gaping at the screen?

 

Jareid turned towards the monitor to see what was the problem. He blinked and squinted his eyes at the bluish screen. He couldn’t distinguish anything! He turned to Bengali again and sneered.

 

“Ben? Third Earth to Bengali! What’s going on?!”

 

“Mmm… Well, I… umm… There are two sacs in there, right?” He looked to Xiar for confirmation. The High Shaman nodded and started to analyze the data that the machine was loading. Jareid frowned.

 

“Two what? Where? I can’t see a bloody thing!”

 

“Look.”

 

Bengali started to manipulate the screen and pointed out two circles. Jareid stared. Now that Ben had pinpointed them, he could see the two tiny figures.

 

“So, that means…?”

 

“It means that two of the embryos developed.” Said Xiar. “Interesting.”

 

“What?!”

 

Jareid turned to look at a very freaked out Tygra, who was starting to tremble. He grabbed the tiger’s hand and nuzzled his cheek.

 

“Shh. Don’t panic. It’s ok.”

 

“B-but… two? How?”

 

“Maybe the embryo divided?” Asked Ben. Xiar shook his head.

 

“No. These are not identical twins. The second embryo must have encysted, and when the third started to develop, the hormones should have stimulated the other. Both foetuses are at seven weeks of development. There is not much difference in time between them.”

 

Tygra sucked air and grabbed Jareid’s arm tightly. The jaguar started to massage the back of his mate’s neck and Bengali looked worriedly at him.

 

“It’s going to be fine Tygra. I’m going to take good care of you.”

 

Tygra closed his eyes and leaned on Jareid. He breathed his mate’s smell to calm himself and kept silent. Xiar and Bengali turned the scanner off, and Bengali helped Tygra to get ready to leave while Xiar went to inform the news to the king.

 

Tygra was still trembling. Ben guided the couple to sit on a pair of chairs, so he could check up the tiger and let him calm down.

 

“Everything is going to be fine Tygra.”

 

“But two… Ben, it was going to be difficult enough with one! Can a male even bear two cubs?”

 

“You’re a unique case. I admit that this is the first time this has happened. We are going to have to monitor you closely. If you can’t carry them both to term, we are going to have to prepare the incubator.”

 

Tygra put his hand over his stomach fearfully. A pregnant male already had to give birth a month early. The cub’s prospect for survival diminished the earlier it was born. If he couldn’t carry his cubs for at least the entire six months, they might not survive. Jareid tried to comfort him, assuring him that they’d be really careful and both cubs would be born safely. Bengali gave them some instructions and a special diet for Tygra before declaring that the young tiger was as healthy as could be and that he should avoid stress as much as possible. Tygra scoffed. As if that were possible, with Jareid as a mate. The jaguar prince actually chuckled and promised to make everything to avoid conflict. Before they left, Tygra still glared reproachfully at Bengali one more time.

 

“Are you sure this time that they’re only two Ben? Because if I end up having three cubs, I swear I’m going to kill the lot of you!”

 

“Easy now, no need to get violent. I swear you’re carrying only two cubs. The scanner’s detector would have given the data for a third foetus, even if it had been hiding from view.”

 

Tygra grumbled under his breath, annoyed that they had made him experience a painful third implantation when apparently he had been already pregnant. Ben smiled in sympathy at him.

 

“I’m sorry it was so difficult, but it might have been the third embryo the one that stimulated the second one. We don’t really know what happened to make your womb shed the lining even when there had been a successful implantation, so we really have no way of knowing if the second embryo would have developed normally if we had left it alone.”

 

Tygra sighed and nodded in acceptance, starting to rub his navel again. Jareid kissed the tiger’s temple and then frowned at Bengali.

 

“Why am I the only one who gets a real scolding when I threaten to kill someone?”

 

“Because you are actually serious when you say it, whereas the rest of the world is only talking because they’re upset. The probability of them actually killing someone is remote.”

 

Jareid pouted and Tygra chuckled, finally relaxing a bit. The couple went out of the clinic to be congratulated by Jareid’s parents and join the meeting that was taking place in the clinic’s hall. Tygra’s pregnancy changed the situation in a determinant way.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Myron walked the way to his rooms for the last time. He was going to pack quickly and go home. Baal had tried to convince him to change his mind, but Myron knew that he wasn’t going to be able to see the prince in the face ever again.

 

He had threatened his daughter with telling the prince about her plotting with Bali months ago, but how could he when she was with cub? Mai had already betrayed the crown twice. That was already a death sentence. She was still alive, first because of the cub, and second because no one knew about her involvement in the assassination attempt against Tygra. As it was, what she did could not really be catalogued as high treason. It was theft in a way. She had technically stolen a cub, so now she would have to give it back.

 

Myron sighed. Mai’s cub was only a week behind Tygra’s twins in development, and it’d be born a month later. Thank the spirits that Tygra had been pregnant after all, or they’d have even bigger problems. Myron didn’t doubt that Baal would have ended up disposing of both Mai and her cub, law or no law.

 

He was surprised to find his estranged mate outside his rooms, apparently waiting for him. He scowled. He had told her five years ago that they didn’t have anything to do with each other and that he didn’t want to speak to her again. The feeling had been mutual, what would she want there now, after five years of blessed absence?

 

“Ika. What are you looking for, here?”

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not looking for you. I just want to know where my daughter is, so I can go and congratulate her. I suppose they are going to make an announcement soon. A consort always gets the most attention when she is already pregnant.”

 

Myron scoffed. As if.

 

“She’s not going to be a consort, or anything related to the royal family.”

 

“What?! But she’s carrying their cub! They owe her the position, and you should have pressured for it!”

 

“They don’t owe her anything! They didn’t want her to be the carrier. Prince Tygra is pregnant! Your foolish daughter stole the samples and went to one of the city’s Shamans who didn’t make many questions. He has been found already. He prepared the embryo from the samples and implanted it. She showed up with two of the servants, and the Shaman thought they were the parents. She is isolated until she gives birth.”

 

That was what they were going to tell. No one was to know that Mai’s cub was only Jareid’s. She’d have no right to the cub, they were going to take it from her as soon as possible. It’d be easier if everyone believed that it was not really her cub. No one would question the king’s decision if Mai were only seen as the carrier and not the actual mother of the cub.

 

Neither Jareid nor Tygra had been very happy with the decision, but for different reasons. Jareid was simply furious and didn’t want to have anything to do with Mai or her offspring. He didn’t want her close, and would be only too happy to just forget about her existence. Tygra on the other hand, had felt for the cub. He didn’t care about Mai one way or the other, but the cub would suffer at being separated from its mother. He didn’t want to inflict any pain on a little cub.

 

The High Shaman had assured him that they’d do everything they could to make it easier for the cub, and Queen Xilara had promised to help in the transition. She had originally offered to take the cub herself, but then everyone would ask why and their ruse would be discovered. Which meant that the cub would go to Jareid and Tygra as soon as Mai gave birth. Jareid had protested. He hadn’t wanted to accept the cub, but Tygra had agreed to take it. The tiger had pleaded to Jareid to keep the cub with them and the prince had caved, but he was not in the best disposition.

 

Ika was shocked to hear the news.

 

“She stole… That’s… impossible! How could she do something so stupid! She’s going to be in disgrace for the rest of her life! Didn’t you do something for her? Perhaps convince them to accept her as a carrier to avoid the scandal!”

 

“You want me to try to change prince Jareid’s mind, really?”

 

Ika paled. No one discussed with the prince. If he had wanted Mai dead, she would have been, no matter the problems such an act would bring on Baal. The king would sort them out eventually.

 

“No. For once it seems you did the right thing. At least she’s still alive. And she’d remain so, right?”

 

“As soon as she gives the cub to its parents, she’s going to be banished from the palace, and probably the city as well, but yes, she’d be alive.”

 

_‘As long as prince Jareid doesn’t get to her, at least.’_ He thought privately. Ika made a face of disgust.

 

“To Thundera?” She asked with derision.

 

“Surely.” Myron said, but he didn’t think so. Baal would not risk her worming her way into Thundera’s court and causing new troubles. She’d surely be confined to one of the other tribes that inhabited the jungle or close to it. Ika sneered and turned around to leave.

 

“I see it was a mistake to leave her with you after all. You couldn’t even guide her to succeed. Instead, you let her do stupid things like this!”

 

Myron growled at her back, but didn’t bother to answer. It was useless at that point.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Saixa stood nervously outside of Bengali’s office. She had gone to the Shamans’ wing to tend to her bruised wrist and to see if she could hear some news. The shaman who had treated her had already lectured her for taking so long in going, but the previous two days had been hectic and she hadn’t wanted to risk encountering Jareid or Baal, after she had foolishly told the prince about Mai.

 

The shaman had told her that the prince was no longer in a murderous rage, but nevertheless it’d be wise to stay clear of him for a time. The entire palace had already listened to the King’s announcement about the situation, and everyone knew that Mai was in deep shit. She was not likely to be seen in the court ever again.

 

Saixa couldn’t get her mind around the idea that someone had done something so… abysmal! One had to be really desperate, and stupid, to steal samples from the Shamans’ wing. Mai should have had help. She couldn’t have possibly pulled _that_ on her own.

 

Saixa had been about to go and return to her rooms, but the shaman had told her that Shaman Bengali wanted to speak with her. She was curious about what he would want. There was no close contact between them, and she didn’t think that Jareid or Tygra would have need for her any longer. Which was really a shame. She had been getting used to the tiger. She could definitely see why Jareid preferred him to the rest of the court.

 

Sighing, she called on the door and entered the shaman’s office. Bengali looked at her and smiled.

 

“Lady Saixa. Good to see you. Sorry to call you this early in the morning.”

 

Saixa rolled her eyes. It was not that early. It was already past breakfast time. But Bengali was used to get told off if he called one of the court ladies before noon. They said that social etiquette demanded that every meeting outside the house was to take place in the afternoons, before dinnertime. Saixa was not much for following etiquette; besides, her wrist had been hurting.

 

“Not a problem Shaman Bengali. I came to see my healer anyway.”

 

Bengali noticed the bandaged wrist and nodded in comprehension, but didn’t pry anymore. Saixa took a seat on one of the chairs in front of Ben’s desk.

 

“So, what do you want me for?”

 

“Well…”

 

The sound of the door sliding open interrupted them, and Jareid came in. Saixa tensed, not sure of how the prince would react to her presence.

 

“Ok Ben, let’s do this quick!”

 

Bengali looked at the jaguar and raised an eyebrow.

 

“And Tygra?”

 

“Are you kidding me? He’s not going out of the room in the foreseeable future!”

 

Bengali groaned and massaged his temple. He was going to have a serious talk with their prince, again! Saixa barely suppressed a smile.

 

“I don’t think he’d be happy about that…”

 

Jareid glared at her, and she turned to Ben.

 

“But I’d shut up now.”

 

The prince smirked in satisfaction and leaned on the back of another chair beside Saixa. Bengali sighed and looked up to the two cats.

 

“Fine, let’s put this behind us. Lady Saixa, as you’re aware, Tygra is now seven weeks into his pregnancy. He’d prefer to have a nursemaid for his cubs. He’s not too fond of the idea of feeding them the special formula.”

 

Jareid huffed. Tygra had loathed the special formula. He had said that he wanted nothing artificial for his cubs. His little ones _will_ have real milk, period. Saixa looked from one cat to the other before speaking.

 

“Are you asking me to be nursemaid? I considered the possibility, but with Mai already carrying, I thought that you were going to take advantage of her condition.”

 

Bengali sighed and Jareid grumped.

 

“We _were_. The prince here, didn’t agree with us.”

 

Saixa raised an eyebrow at said prince, who growled.

 

“She’s not touching my family. She’s not having anything to do with my cubs! Not any part of her!”

 

Saixa was about to comment that she was already carrying one of the cubs, but she rather wanted to leave the office in one piece, so she shut her mouth and thought about the offer.

 

“Am I actually nursing them?”

 

“Well, you’d just have to provide the milk. They are going to bond with Tygra after all…”

 

“And you’re not to be messing up with that, Saixa! You’d be only helping, understood?”

 

“All right, all right! No need to get violent. Gezz!”

 

Bengali glared at Jareid and waited for the prince to stop growling. The jaguar male relaxed once he was sure that Saixa understood what was expected of her. Bengali sighed.

 

“So, can we count with you for that?”

 

The jaguaress pressed her lips. It was not what she had wanted, but it’d help her to fend off her family for a while. She had decided long ago that if she couldn’t have her father’s seat in the council she won’t sit back and give it to a hypothetical mate. If it wasn’t Jareid, she was not mating anyone. The family would have to renounce to their place in the council if they wouldn’t tolerate a female as their representative.

 

While being a nursemaid wasn’t such a privileged position, it’d still mean that she was close to the royal couple, and would dedicate time to help Tygra with the cubs. Any possible mating would have to wait. She nodded at Bengali, and the white tiger smiled.

 

“Excellent. We’d need to do a couple of tests and then give you the pills for you to start producing milk. But all of that can still wait a couple of months.”

 

Saixa was dismissed shortly after that, and Bengali was left alone with Jareid. The prince stretched out and yawned.

 

“Told you she was going to say yes. She needs an excuse to escape her family’s pressure, and this is going to consume time. No one would dare tell her that she should have refused in favour of finding a mate.”

 

“Well, that’s at least one problem solved. But we still have the other, concerning Mai’s cub.”

 

Jareid gritted his teeth. He still was furious that he would have to take care of a cub that he hadn’t wanted in the first place. He had only accepted because Tygra had begged him to. His tiger was not going to ever condone to abandon a cub. It was already going to lose its mother. Tygra would never forgive Jareid if he rejected his own cub.

 

They had agreed to raise all three cubs, but the bond that the third infant was going to develop with Mai was going to be a problem. They needed a way to nullify it, or at least diminish its intensity, so the cub wouldn’t suffer the separation too much. They were going to take the cub away as soon as it was born. It’d be the same as when the mother died at birth. Only, they were going to have the same problem.

 

When the mother died at birth it was extremely rare that the cub survived. As a rule, the cub would not eat, either from the bottle or from a surrogate. In some fortunate cases, the father succeeded in feeding the cub and getting it through the crisis, but the majority died on the first week. The cub bonded with the mother through her heartbeat and her voice first, and her smell second. If it failed to recognize its mother, it’d grow very distressed and anguished, thus refusing to eat.

 

Jareid grunted in irritation.

 

“Have you given her the special recorder?”

 

Ben nodded. The device had a recording with the heartbeat and voice of Tygra. Mai had been told that it contained music, and that was all she was going to listen coming from it.

 

“Of course. The only problem is to make sure that she uses it. We can turn it on remotely while she’s asleep, but it’d be best if she puts it over her belly, like Sarai instructed her to do. Maybe we can try to tell her that you want her to do it. She’s still under the delusion that you love her.”

 

Jareid made a derisive sound. There were no words to express what he thought of that. He couldn’t believe that Mai was still keeping the illusion that he was in love with her, after he had tried to strangle her.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me. After what happened?”

 

“Well, she’s obsessed…”

 

“And delusional!”

 

“And she has convinced herself that we are telling lies to you and misleading you into believing that her cub is not yours. She’s insisting on talking to you. She wants to explain what she did, so you can see that she only did it because she loves you and wants to be with you.”

 

“As I said. Delusional!”

 

Jareid straightened and gave a suffering sigh.

 

“Look, I don’t really care what you do to get Mai to cooperate, as long as you don’t mix Tygra in that. I’m not interested to know anything related to her pregnancy. If it were my choice, I’d never have anything to do with the product either!”

 

Ben sighed sadly.

 

“Not even because it is your cub?”

 

Jareid growled in annoyance and bared his teeth to Ben.

 

“My cubs are the ones Tygra would give me, no one else’s! I accepted to receive this because Tygra wants it, but I really wouldn’t care less if it dies at birth!”

 

“You realize that you’re taking out your anger on a cub that had nothing to do with how Mai decided to handle things?”

 

“Its existence could have been enough to take Tygra away from me, no matter if it was at fault or not! That’s reason enough for me to despise the little thing!”

 

“Jareid, you can’t be thinking like that! You should see that ‘the little thing’ is yours!”

 

Jareid growled and clenched his fists. Ben tried to approach him, but thought better of it and sighed in defeat.

 

“Fine. I can see that I’m not going to get through to you. I hope Tygra would be more successful.”

 

Jareid glared daggers at him. For a moment, Ben was certain that the jaguar was going to attack him, but Jareid turned away and started walking towards the door.

 

“Just make sure that you deliver that bloody cub to Tygra. He’s not going to get distant with me because of the cub! I want him to be happy.”

 

Bengali knew that he should keep silent, but he couldn’t resist.

 

“You know? Mai’s obsession with you reminds me too much of your own obsession with Tygra. And it is scary.”

 

To his surprise, Jareid looked back at him with half a snarl on his face.

 

“Why do you think I want her dead? I know what I’d do to any cat that caught Tygra’s eye, and I know that I’d never stop until I’d have Tygra only for myself.”

 

He left the office, leaving Bengali groaning in worry and thinking that he didn’t like those parting words at all.

 


	16. Complications Along the Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  

 

  

Tygra was at his desk with a barrage of papers and books scattered in front of him. Lion-O was on the small table in the sitting area, studying, and Snarf was napping on the puff, beside the window. Both brothers were focused on their assignments while listening to the light rain outside. Tygra finished a comment on a chapter about the use of different weapons in hunting, and stretched.

 

His routine had changed a bit. He went down to do exercise in the mornings, constricting himself to the movements outlined by Ben, after that he had his prescribed breakfast. He was taking extra vitamins and other supplements with each meal, though his consumption of carbohydrates had increased. He craved sweets and Jareid had ensured that he always had candy fruit and a pot of honey in their rooms. After breakfast he had classes with his tutors, and then he took lunch. After that, he had a couple of hours of study time, Lion-O often joined him for those, and then the lion ran to his training, while Tygra went to help Jareid with his duties or joined Xilara for hers. The queen supervised the cultural and educational needs of the kingdom, and Tygra was starting to learn how to do it, as it’d be part of his own obligations one day.

 

Some days he received Saixa’s visit and they talked about politics or play. She had taught him and Lion-O how to use the video-console to play different games. The lion had been miffed that no one had shown it to him before then. Tygra had been amused and had reminded his brother that his friends preferred to play with hover-boards or explore the jungle. Lion-O had shrugged and insisted that even so, someone should have mentioned video games to him.

 

Tygra sighed and looked out the window to the grey sky. It had been a relatively quiet month. Apart from Jareid trying, and failing, to lock him in their rooms, he had had no other problems. He had been worried about Saixa’s reaction, but once things had been cleared and Jareid had calmed down, the jaguaress had been back to stalk him as if nothing had happened.

 

She had said that it’d be fine to be their nursemaid. She got to increase her breast’s size without losing her figure. It would almost be the same as being a part-time consort. If Jareid demanded her to attend to his cubs constantly, her family would stop pestering her to find a mate, at least for a while. She hoped that it’d be long enough for any possible suitor to look somewhere else. There were only five families higher in social rank than Saixa’s; two of them were already out of the question due to the first having a five-year-old as a male heir, and the second for having only females as heirs. Saixa was not adverse to a female mate, but her family was, so they won’t be supporting her if she chose to mate another female. There were other two families that had male heirs around Saixa’s age, but both were utterly stupid and arrogant, and Saixa would sooner die than mate to any of them. Finally, there was the royal family, but Jareid had simply ceased to be an option. So, Saixa was left without real choices. She was going to try and postpone mating as long as she could. Hopefully until her family accepted her to represent them in the council, or risk losing their standing in court.

 

Tygra knew that she was still harbouring hope that Jareid would change his mind and accept her as consort, but the tiger thought that it was unlikely to happen. Jareid was set on the image of the perfect family, and it didn’t include a consort. That the cat had accepted a nursemaid had been practically a miracle.

 

Tygra sighed, thinking about his female friend. Maybe they could help Saixa in some other way. He knew that she wasn’t against the idea of mating, what she didn’t want was to be relegated to the role of a pretty accessory. Something to keep in the house and nothing more. The ladies of the court didn’t have any occupation apart from gossiping. It was very rare that a noble female was allowed to pursue a career or have an actual job, even if they had studied for one. Only the queen was expected to ever put in practice what she had learned from the books, or the rare occasions when a family was left without male heirs. Besides those exceptions, a noble female was little more than a pretty ornament for the house. Tygra lamented that situation. Saixa could have been an excellent politician. Things were not so different in Thundera. There too it was rare to find a noble lady that knew anything besides the latest fashion. He thought about Cheetara and her determination to become a cleric. Granted, Cheetara wasn’t of noble birth, but she had had more personality than the rest of the females in the palace.

 

Tygra reclined on his chair. He was getting nostalgic. He put a hand on his belly and closed his eyes briefly. He wasn’t showing much yet. He rather looked like he was gaining weight. He’d get bigger on the last two months. His two cubs still didn’t have a name, despite Jareid proposing at least four each day, but he knew that they both were males. Ben had prepared the embryos specifically to be males. Tygra didn’t know how he had done it, but he had decided not to ask too much about the procedure. He didn’t want to start thinking about his cubs in a cold-detached way. They were his cubs now, and he was going to give them the kind of love any parent would give to his/her offspring. Lion-O noticed his pensive state and walked over to him.

 

“Are you feeling ok, Tygra?” He asked. A bit of worry was shown in his eyes. He was still aghast over the thought of his brother being forced to have two cubs. He had been feeling guilty, thinking that he had not showed enough support to Tygra, and was trying to compensate spending with him as much time as he could.

 

Tygra smiled at his little brother and stretched lazily.

 

“I’m fine Lion-O. Don’t worry.”

 

He assessed the look on the young lion’s face and sighed.

 

“And stop feeling guilty. It was my decision to try the pregnancy. Granted, I haven’t been expecting twins, but no one really planned for this to happen. It was an oddity. No one is at fault.”

 

Lion-O nodded unhappily. He had been hoping that Tygra was happy enough with Jareid to want to stay in Ix-Maal. He had felt very selfish. Tygra grabbed his hands and made him look directly at the brown eyes.

 

“I’m doing this for my sake, Lion-O. I decided to stay here. I decided to have my own family. I know that you love this place, and it’s fine. I was thinking about you too, but the decision was still mine.”

 

Lion-O nodded again and hugged his brother’s neck. Tygra hugged his little brother back and messed the red mane playfully.

 

“Did you finish your study?”

 

“Yes. I have a test tomorrow, but I think I’m ready.”

 

“Good. I wish I could have seen Jaga’s face when he received your notes. I bet he fainted!”

 

“Hey! I wasn’t that bad before!”

 

Tygra lifted an eyebrow and Lion-O blushed.

 

“Fine. I didn’t like to study. But it was really pointless. No one was really expecting me to do better than you.”

 

Tygra huffed in irritation at their past tutors, and patted Lion-O’s shoulder.

 

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. You are much better, and I’m very proud of you. I bet father is too.”

 

Lion-O smiled and looked to the window. The rain had stopped and incipient rays of sunshine were getting through the clouds. It was going to get hot.

 

“I suppose I should head into the courtyard. I don’t want to be late for training.”

 

“Go on tyke. Have fun.”

 

“I don’t really want to leave you alone.” Lion-O looked worriedly at his brother for a moment.

 

Tygra rolled his eyes. He hadn’t had any problems save the occasional slight pain in his abdomen when he tried to do more exercise than he was supposed to. Nevertheless, everyone seemed to be following his every move, and there was the tacit agreement to not leave him alone for long periods of time. Really. This pregnancy thing was turning everyone paranoid!

 

“Don’t start channelling Jareid! I’m fine. I’m not going to suddenly disappear, I swear!”

 

“But what if you have a problem?”

 

“Listen Lion-O, I’m not incapacitated. Neither have I suddenly forgot how to use a communicator. I haven’t lost the ability to take care of myself!”

 

Lion-O looked chastised.

 

“I’m sorry. I just can’t take out of my head that Bengali said that you have to be careful, and that it was like having a high risk pregnancy for you, I… I’m just remembering mom, I guess.”

 

Tygra’s gesture softened. When Lion-O had been five, their governess had told him that his mother had died for him to be born, in a misguided effort to make him behave and sit still for his writing lesson. Lion-O had gotten the impression that he somehow had killed his mother, and he had cried inconsolably. Jaga had managed to make him understand what a high risk pregnancy was, and how it was not the cub’s fault if his/her mother was of “weak” constitution. His mother had decided to have him, and had loved him enough to disregard the danger to her own health. She had died because the healers hadn’t been able to help her, not because he had killed her. Still, Lion-O had felt very bad, and now feared that his brother would have the same problems their mother had had. What if the Shamans couldn’t help him either? Tygra grabbed his brother’s shoulders and tried to reassure him.

 

“Don’t worry Lion-O. I’m going to be fine. I’m taking every precaution Bengali has told me. Jareid is ensuring that I move as little as possible!”

 

He chuckled and Lion-O smiled again.

 

“I’m being careful Lion-O. I swear.”

 

Lion-O sighed and nodded in acceptance. He knew that his brother was strong and was been taken care of, but he couldn’t stop worrying. He hugged his brother goodbye and ran to his training, promising to return later.

 

Tygra watched him go and then sighed and leaned back on his comfortable chair. He still had some time before Jareid arrived to his private study to finish paperwork. He better enjoyed his moment of solitude before his mate arrived and started to fuzz over him. Really, the worst part of been pregnant was to have to put up with the cats hovering around him, wanting to keep him from moving a finger and annoying him in the process.

 

&&&&&&&

 

About the time that Tygra was finishing his homework, Sarai and Saixa walked to Mai’s room, talking amiably. Sarai was Mai’s assigned healer for the moment, but the girl was getting tired of the “lady’s” attitude. Mai insisted that she must be treated as the queen, and abused Sarai verbally every day. She also insisted to see Jareid and accused Sarai of keeping the prince from her.

 

The two servants assigned to her were also getting tired of her complaints and demands. To the point that one of them had uncovered the fact that Tygra was pregnant. The poor servant had expected to disabuse Mai of the idea that she would be the queen, but all she got was to be called a liar, and an enraged Lady Mai who refused to eat until she saw Jareid. She had had to be restrained twice when she had tried to attack Sarai. Xiar had said that she was in danger to lose the cub.

 

Baal had been willing to let things progress along. If there was no longer a cub, the problem was solved. Unfortunately for him, Xilara was also aware of the situation and she had put her foot down. As much as Baal and Jareid despised the fact, that cub was of royal blood, and was to be considered family. She was not going to condone any action, or inaction, that could result in the loss of a cub. So, Baal better resolve the situation fast, or she would!

 

Sarai and Saixa arrived to the room, and the female shaman opened the door, ready to defend herself if need be. Saixa was there as backup, though she wasn’t sure of how much help she could be. The High Shaman was going to test Mai to confirm the cub’s paternity and the royal family would be there, Jareid included. Saixa thought it was a very bad idea, but the point of all this was that Mai calmed down, and the only way she was going to do so was to see Jareid and that the prince spoke to her directly. Saixa wondered if Jareid was going to be able to put his anger under control long enough to cooperate and not made things worse.

 

Fortunately, Mai was not in the mood to attack the two women as soon as they entered the room. She was looking out the window and pretended to ignore her two visitors, believing they were the servants with her meal.

 

“Lady Mai, you should sit down comfortably.” Said Sarai pleasantly enough. The female snarled.

 

“I told you, I’m not eating until I talk to Jareid. So, you better take whatever you’d brought out!”

 

“Wow. I see you have the outraged princess act down to a peg.”

 

Mai turned around in surprise and then growled at Saixa.

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“I came as witness. My family is part of the council and I can testify that you are well-treated and that if anything happens to you, or the cub you’re carrying, it’d be your own fault.”

 

“What?! That’s outrageous! You filthy wench!”

 

She stalked towards Saixa, trying to intimidate her, but the other female was unmoved. Saixa did feel the pull of Mai’s hormones, urging her to soothe the pregnant female, but she ignored it.

 

“You wish you were in my place! And you’re trying to sabotage me! Oh, but when Jareid hears about this…!”

 

“Please, don’t make me laugh! In your place? Everyone knows what you did, Mai! Seriously! I wonder who was stupid enough to help you! Did you actually think that Jareid was going to accept that cub after you stole those samples?”

 

Mai glared daggers at Saixa.

 

“It’s his cub! His heir! He’ll accept it as soon as he’s convinced that it’s his!”

 

“Yeah, well, seeing that Tygra is pregnant, this cub is not the heir. Baal would not care if you lose it, and frankly you’re making it too easy for him.”

 

Mai stood gaping in shock at her fellow courtesan. She hadn’t believed the servant when Tygra’s pregnancy had been mentioned. Saixa gave a look around the room.

 

“You’re being treated pretty well for the little thief you are. I see they even gave you Jareid’s recorder. You can’t say you’re not taken care of.”

 

“It’s… It’s a lie! That brat can’t be pregnant!”

 

“You better believe he is. To be frank, I think you should be grateful that he is, after all. I don’t doubt that the king would have found the way to dispose of you if he thought that you were going to cause problems.”

 

“He can’t get rid of me, or my cub! The law…”

 

“Oh, please! How many times he has stretched the law to accommodate Jareid, or simply ignore it? Do you really think you’d be an exception? Just look at yourself now! The entire court knows you’re a thief!”

 

“You’re lying! Every single one of you is lying! You’re not telling Jareid the truth! I have rights, and I demand to see him!”

 

“Well, you’re gonna have your chance after all.” Saixa said with a suffering sigh. “That’s the reason I’m here anyway.”

 

Mai narrowed her eyes and looked suspiciously first at Saixa and then towards Sarai, who she had ignored until then, and back again.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Saixa shrugged noncommittally and adopted a bored posture.

 

“Well, Jareid and the council want to be certain of the cub’s paternity, and Baal has required the High Shaman to do the test, maybe a scan too. They should be here soon.”

 

Mai gritted her teeth and growled. How dare they doubt her word!

 

“They’re not touching me! I’m not allowing any test until I see Jareid!”

 

“Oh, don’t worry. He’d be here. He wants to see the test done himself. He’s getting paranoid. And I don’t think he’d be pleased with the way you’re endangering his supposed cub’s life.”

 

“What? Me? You dare! What have you lot told him? I’d never endanger this cub!”

 

“Oh, please Mai! Are you daft? You’re throwing tantrums! Refusing to eat! And you’re not taking the vitamins or any of the other things that the High Shaman has instructed you to! You tried to attack your assigned healer! That’s a lot of stress for an unborn cub; you are close to lose it! But maybe it’s for the best, after all, with Tygra pregnant, this cub is more a liability than anything. As I told you before, Baal would be only too pleased to see it gone.”

 

Mai was speechless. She clenched her fists and was about to demand Saixa to leave when the door opened once more and Bengali entered pushing a cart with the required equipment and supplies to conduct the tests. Sarai hurried to help him.

 

“Hello everyone. Lady Mai, if you’d be so kind as to make yourself comfortable on the divan, please?”

 

Behind Bengali entered Myron, as well as the High Shaman and the royal family. Mai’s eyes focused immediately on Jareid, noticing with pleasure that Tygra was absent. The jaguar prince was carrying his little sister and avoided to look Mai’s way. Yeana was asking questions about what Bengali was doing and the prince was dutifully answering. The shamans were ready in short minutes and Baal gave a suffering sigh.

 

“Well, let’s get this over with.”

 

Xiar proceeded with the test. Jareid was not sure why they were doing all this. Apparently they wanted to convince Mai that he was aware of the cub’s paternity and of her whereabouts, but he didn’t see the point. Why not let her lose the cub? It’d be easier and better for everyone!

 

He looked around the room in contempt and his eyes stopped on his mother. He sighed. Neither Xilara, nor Tygra, would allow them to simply sit back and let the cub be lost. Their personal history made them especially sensitive about cubs, and they were not about to purposely lead someone to miscarriage.

 

Jareid looked towards the point where Bengali was trying to convince Mai that the medical equipment had not been tampered with. The prince gritted his teeth in irritation and tried to focus on the screen of the scanner’s computer rather than in the female being tested. He had agreed to this charade to keep Tygra happy, nothing more.

 

Eventually, Bengali managed to get Mai to cooperate and Xiar could take a sample of her placental liquid to run in one of the machines. While they waited for the results, Ben ran an ultrasound, so they could see the developing foetus. Yeana listened mesmerized to Ben as he explained what exactly the screen was showing. Jareid had a hard time feigning interest. All he could see was an amorphous blotch that looked to him more like a squashed lizard than a cub.

 

Finally, Xiar had the results of the paternity test, and announced what everyone already knew. The cub was indeed Jareid’s.

 

Mai looked expectantly at the prince, but all she got was a stiff nod. She tried to approach him, but Saixa and Sarai put themselves on the way. Jareid was supposed to say something to Mai, but he really didn’t know what to say that wasn’t an insult. Besides, he was sure that the first thing to come out of his mouth would be a growl. Still, he had to say something. All this ruse was to eliminate the stress to the cub and to keep Mai calm and relatively happy until she gave birth.

 

The female started to grow distressed and babbled about how this cub was proof of her undying love and how they would raise it together. Jareid clenched his jaw shut in an effort to not roar at her. Yeana noticed his growing anger, and clung to his neck. She kissed her big brother’s cheek and mumbled at his ear what to say. Jareid bit his tongue hard and managed to remain collected and repeat what his sister was telling him, through clenched teeth.

 

“I’m sure it’d be a precious cub. I’m looking forwards hugging it.” The words, even if pronounced coldly, made Mai grin and preen.

 

“You’ll love him Jareid! You’d see that he’d be so much better than any other cub! You don’t need the tiger. He and his offspring can go back to Thundera, where he belongs!”

 

Saixa noticed that Jareid was about to snap, and willed Mai to shut up. All the cats present were there not only as witnesses, they also had hoped to provide some form of barrier between Jareid and Mai. That was also the reason why Yeana was present. Besides Tygra, only the little kit had any hope to keep Jareid grounded. The prince would try harder to rein on his impulses in front of his little sister. Tygra would have been better, but no one really wanted to put the tiger in such a stressful situation. Besides, if Mai committed the stupidity of attacking Tygra in any way, she’d be dead before anyone could do anything.

 

Jareid’s ears were starting to buzz. The little whore! How dare she! Just wait ‘till the cub was out of her, then he was going to crack her skull! Laws be damned! Jareid wanted to yell. Still, he somehow managed to speak, a bit strained but clear enough.

 

“I’m sure it’d be so. As long as you follow the Shaman’s instructions.”

 

“Of course my love. As you wish.” Mai threw a cursory glance around her and sneered. “Are we going to have some privacy…?”

 

The collective “No!” that answered her made her jump in surprise. She puffed indignantly and was about to complaint, but Bengali beat her to it.

 

“It wouldn’t be appropriate. You’re not even a consort!”

 

“And my son still has a mate. Until your situation is cleared, he’s not going to dismiss his obligations in your favour!”

 

Besides, Jareid would not be able to stop himself from hurting her if they left them alone. The prince glared daggers at everyone, knowing quite well that they didn’t trust him to behave and do the right thing if no one was there to supervise him. But as he really had no ground to refute them, he only huffed and turned around to leave. Yeana hurriedly told him something else and he paused at the door, half turning to glance at Mai.

 

“I do hope you can avoid unnecessary risks for my cub. You’d be safer staying here.”

 

Mai nodded enthusiastically. Jareid was surely thinking about what the tiger could do to her. He was so considerate, thinking about her health!

 

Before she could say anything though, Jareid was gone. The rest of the cats followed him, leaving her alone again. She sat on an armchair and grinned to herself. She was a bit miffed that she hadn’t spoken to Jareid alone, but that was just a minor inconvenience. He had been there, and he was now certain that Mai had not cheated on him. She had feared that the shamans would change her results, but they had clearly preferred to please the prince. She was convinced that he would find the way to be alone with her, now that he wasn’t angry anymore.

 

Her hand trembled, and she touched her neck gingerly. She had been very scared by his reaction. She had never thought that he would be that angry with her for getting pregnant, but that just proved to her that he must love her and want her for himself. Who knew what the other courtesans had told him? Especially ones like Saixa, who was evidently jealous of her. Jareid’s actions had been perfectly justified; after all he had surely been under the delusion that she had betrayed him. It had been her own fault, she should have thought something to prevent him. What could he have thought, if there really hadn’t been any contact between them? She should have gone to him first!

 

Well, there was nothing to be done about that anymore. She’d only focus on having their cub. Who cared if the tiger was pregnant? They surely had done the impregnation in a hurry after she had announced her own condition. The tiger had more probability to miscarriage than her, and even if he managed to take the cub to term Mai’s was going to be pure jaguar. To her, it was evident which cub Jareid would choose.

 

She sighed and her eyes found the small recorder on her bedside table. She hadn’t even touched it, afraid that the shamans had put some kind of spell on it that would damage her cub. But Saixa had mentioned, very jealously in fact, that it was Jareid’s recorder. Mai’s eyes brightened. Jareid had thought about her! She grabbed the gadget and turned it on. A soft lullaby was heard and she smiled. The shamans wouldn’t dare to tamper with something that belonged to Jareid. Neither they would disobey him. She put the small device over her belly and relaxed a bit.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid had given Yeana over to their mother and had all but disappeared. Bengali had gone after him, worried that the prince would hurt the first cat to cross his path. The white tiger found his errant jaguar in one of the fencing rooms. He wouldn’t have even checked if not for the noise. Jareid had chosen the poor room to vent his frustration and anger, and was demolishing everything in it. Bengali flinched as a big showcase cabinet with photos and trophies was sent to the floor and broken loudly. Really. Couldn’t Jareid choose a room with less glass in it? Or swords?

 

Bengali was wary to approach the prince with the amount of weapons at hand’s reach. He waited until the jaguar calmed down at least at a manageable level. By then the entire floor was covered in glass and debris, the tapestries had been ripped out of the walls and some swords had ended up imbibed in some furniture and slashed paintings. Jareid was still visibly angry, but he had tired himself somewhat. Ben sighed and fully entered the room.

 

“Have you finished yet? The king is not going to be happy, after they had to technically redecorate your rooms.”

 

“Like I care! All of this is pure bullshit!”

 

He hit the closest wall and glared at the mess he had created. It would have felt more satisfying if there had been blood involved. Preferably Mai’s. Bengali stood at the jaguar’s side and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Don’t go around picking fights now. Tygra needs you calm. You have to rein on your temper and think rationally.”

 

Jareid huffed and leaned on the wall, crossing his arms. He wasn’t used to reason his problems. He was too visceral for that. He just knew that Mai’s existence was annoying him, and he itched to just erase the annoyance.

 

“I’m not even sure of what I said to her! I don’t know how I managed to not even insult her!”

 

“Well, I think we can say that Yeana is a blessing. She can control you without even trying!”

 

Jareid chuckled, more relaxed now. His little sister had been his salvation at some point. She had him wrapped around her little finger. Her safety and well-being was only behind Tygra’s now.

 

The prince frowned, looking at the devastated room again. Mai really was an annoyance.

 

“Are you sure you can’t take the cub out of her and into someone else? That’d solve my problem quite nicely.”

 

“As amazing as biotechnology is, a pregnancy is better left alone. The potential damage to the cub and the mother is just too great.”

 

“Not very useful then.”

 

Bengali groaned. Everyone could dream about easy solutions to their problems. Jareid however, was affronted when those solutions failed to materialize immediately.

 

“I already told you what _can_ be done. With the sample we obtained today, we can plan the necessary adjustments. The High Shaman says it’s safe to try.”

 

“Then do it! The less that cub has of the wench the better! If you can get her out of the cub’s genes completely do whatever you have to!”

 

“We’d do as much as we can. Just focus on Tygra. It’d be the best for everyone involved.”

 

Jareid smirked. Mai didn’t matter. She didn’t deserve to worry about more than strictly necessary. Tygra was the one that mattered. He was going to give Jareid two cubs, and needed the jaguar’s entire attention. Let others worry about the little wench. He was going in search of his tiger.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The next day, late on the evening, Tygra was at the Palace’s entrance to the courtyard that served as landing platform for the ships. He was between Lion-O and Jareid, a step behind Baal and Xilara. They were all looking at the landing ship.

 

Tygra was a bit nervous. It had been time for the council meeting in Thundera, and Claudus was sending back the Cleric assigned to Lion-O. Baal had asked Tygra out of curiosity why he hadn’t been assigned his own clerical guard back in Thundera. Tygra had simply answered that he hadn’t been the heir. Baal had blinked, and then had asked why Lion-O was assigned a guard now and not since he had been born. Tygra had felt ashamed. His first impulse had been to answer that Jaga had taken care of his brother’s safety, but that was not entirely truth. Jaga was Claudus’ guard and counsellor. The tiger had bitten his lip and had told Baal that Lion-O hadn’t been considered to need a personal guard because the lion cub was not allowed outside of the castle. He had not been ready to accept that he himself had always been considered some kind of guard for his brother. Baal had dropped the matter, but Tygra had been left with the impression that the king knew what he hadn’t wanted to say anyway.

 

Claudus had gotten in touch via the communicator beforehand, announcing that he had chosen the cleric that would go to Ix-Maal. Lion-O had been there, and had protested that he didn’t need a guard, but of course Claudus hadn’t paid him attention. The old lion was very impressed with his son’s progress in his studies, but nevertheless had insisted on the convenience of providing him with a Thunderian guide. Lion-O had felt slighted in some way and now was waiting along the rest of the royal family, muttering under his breath. He really couldn’t see why so much insistence on Claudus’ part. It wasn’t as if any Cleric, besides Jaga, had ever been willing to teach Lion-O anything.

 

Tygra glanced at his brother and sighed. In a way, Lion-O had been a neglected cub, and he was now resenting his fathers’ apparent lack of trust in him. The tiger however was convinced that Claudus was sending the Cleric with the goal to have a reliable informant, now that he knew how to use a communicator. His father wanted to know what was happening, and to be sure that there’d be no foul play with the terms of the treaty.

 

He put a hand over his belly in nervousness. The tunic he was wearing hid his barely protruding stomach quite well. Once they met the cleric, they’d decide the better way to make him or her aware of the pregnancy. Tygra was not sure if that was a good idea. He couldn’t help asking himself what was going to be the cleric’s reaction. Would Claudus’ emissary try to eliminate whatever perceived obstacle for Tygra to return to Thundera? Would he or she dare?

 

Jareid put a hand on Tygra’s lower back and the teen gulped and lowered his arm. He had to keep calm. He didn’t want to attract more attention to himself than necessary.

 

Finally, the doors of the ship opened and its passengers went out. The First councillor, Kaleb, greeted his king and the Royal Family, presenting the young cleric at his side. The cleric took off the hood that had been over the head until then, and greeted the king formally. Jareid lifted an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side, not very sure if a female cheetah, that evidently had not yet reached majority, could be a good guard. Baal narrowed his eyes, conveying his scepticism too. Kaleb explained that she was one of the most advanced apprentices and that Claudus had considered her the best option to keep Lion-O company without posing much of a threat to the other residents of the castle.

 

Baal showed his teeth in contempt, wondering about Claudus’ real motive to send this particular cleric. His answer though was given quickly. As soon as the female diverted her attention to the two Thunderian princes to present herself, Baal also turned to them, wanting to gauge their reaction. He cursed under his breath and gritted his teeth. Lion-O greeted the cleric politely. His face was still in a pout, crossed that she was there at all. But Tygra…

 

The young tiger was very pale and his eyes were wide and fearful. He nodded stiffly to the female without opening his mouth. Jareid noticed his mate’s change and put a hand around his waist in concern. The cleric also noticed something wrong and raised a delicate eyebrow in question.

 

“Prince Tygra?”

 

“Cheetara…”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Baal was positively fuming. That conniving lion!

 

It was evident to him that Tygra knew the cheetah and possibly had had some sort of relationship with her. The tiger had been pretty much scared to see her in front of him! That was not good. They didn’t need any more problems in the condition the tiger was.

 

Fortunately, there hadn’t been any incidents earlier in the courtyard. As soon as Jareid had smelled Tygra’s fear and noticed his pallor, he had assumed that the tiger was not feeling well and with barely an excuse us had turned around and taken his mate inside the castle. Bengali had followed them and Xiar had taken over, presenting himself to the young cleric and assuring her that the prince was fine, he had just not been feeling very well for a few days. The cheetah had not commented, preferring to let protocol follow through and then follow her young charge to start to get acquainted with him.

 

She didn’t look like the sort to cause troubles, but still Baal had given the order to watch her closely. He was wondering what ulterior motives Claudus could have in sending her. Perhaps it would be better if he banished Tygra from seeing her. Although, if the cleric had orders to talk with the tiger prince directly, she might look for a way to do so and cause a different set of troubles.

 

He needed to know what had been her relation to Tygra. After that, he would see the best way to keep her interference at a minimum. He just hoped he didn’t have another Mai in the making.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was mortified. He had allowed Jareid to pull him from the courtyard believing they were headed to their rooms. Instead, the jaguar had taken him directly to the shamans’ wing with Bengali close behind them. The white tiger was checking him up to make sure that everything was in order, while Tygra had a round with his mate.

 

“Really, I’m fine! Why must you always exaggerate?”

 

“You were scared and very pale Tygra! I was not about to risk you passing out!”

 

Tygra groaned and put a hand over his face. Maybe he had overreacted out there. He should feel lucky that Jareid had not related his sudden fear to Cheetara’s presence. But why in the three moons did his father have to send _her_? It was not fair!

 

“I wouldn’t have passed out.” He said morosely. Ben chuckled.

 

“You should know better than to feel dizzy in front of an overprotective mate, Tygra. Especially when you’re pregnant.”

 

Tygra pouted and Ben finished to take the lecture with the special scanner.

 

“Well, it seems like nothing is wrong.”

 

“See? Can we go now?”

 

Jareid put his arms around his tiger’s waist and nuzzled his ear. Tygra blushed. The attention was good, but why in front of Bengali?

 

Then, without warning, Jareid moved one arm under Tygra’s knees and lifted the tiger, bride style.

 

“Jareid! Please, this is not necessary!”

 

“You’re not feeling well, Tygra! Perhaps you’re tired, you better not do any more effort today.”

 

Tygra growled in embarrassment. He was not tired! He wasn’t that weak! But what else could he tell Jareid? He certainly didn’t want the jaguar to know that he had been shocked to see Cheetara there! His mate would make questions and would want to know exactly why he had had such a strong reaction to the cheetah’s presence. Tygra didn’t want Jareid to know that he used to have a big crush on the cleric. The spirits know what the jaguar would do!

 

“It was just a dizziness spell.” He grumbled quietly. Jareid chuckled and kissed his temple.

 

“You don’t have to be strong all the time, Tygra. Let me care for you.”

 

Tygra gave a suffering sigh and reclined his head on Jareid’s shoulder. Thankfully it was already dusk, so he won’t have to get out of his room until next morning.

 

&&&&&&&

 

For the next few days, Tygra decided that the best course of action was to avoid his friend. He did his morning exercises in the bedroom, and had his meals taken to his own study, saying that he wanted to do some research to present a project to his tutors. For the same reason, he had to cut his time with Lion-O short, and was glad to know that Bengali was using their study hour to show Cheetara around and introduce her to some of the traditions and the technology.

 

The tiger wondered about the fact that everyone was being very accommodating to his sudden wish to stay in his rooms. He had expected Jareid to be happy with his change of heart, but even Lion-O was not questioning his reclusive mood. That was odd, but he decided that he wasn’t going to complain about it.

 

He didn’t know that Baal had ordered everyone to facilitate things for him, so he didn’t have to meet the cleric if he didn’t want to. Lion-O had agreed to cooperate because he had noticed Tygra’s weird reaction when Cheetara had arrived, and had asked the cheetah about it. Cheetara had told him that she had met his brother a few years ago, and that the tiger prince used to sneak in to the clerisy building to see her. Lion-O had guessed that Tygra feared his own reaction if he spent too much time with Cheetara. It would be a stressful situation, and the tiger shouldn’t have to deal with it on top of everything else. It was also dangerous for the cheetah, even if she didn’t know it. Lion-O was already very much aware of how possessive Jareid was of his brother. Keeping Cheetara away from the tiger was in the cheetah’s best interest.

 

Tygra decided to be grateful that no one was asking for explanations, and that they were letting him be. Jareid however, started to get suspicious. Tygra looked nervous, and was quite evidently hiding. He didn’t say anything, though he was miffed that his mate wouldn’t tell him what was wrong. He was just waiting for an adequate moment to confront his tiger. He didn’t want Tygra to feel more stressed, but he had to know what was happening to be able to help.

 

Tygra though, was feeling calmer after some days had passed by and Cheetara had not tried to look for him. He was starting to think that maybe he was exaggerating, but he didn’t want to confront his old friend yet. Then, on the sixth day, it was Yeana’s birthday, and Tygra had to leave his self-imposed reclusion to attend the party. It was nothing as grand and noisy as a mating ceremony, but it still included a lot of the noble families congregating and taking the chance to have a better look at the tiger. Thankfully, the fact that Cheetara was there was keeping the gossip to a minimum, as everyone was still wary of her presence.

 

She still hadn’t been told about Tygra’s pregnancy. Baal wanted to make sure first that she won’t jeopardize it. He wanted to know what exactly she was instructed to do in regards to Tygra and act in consequence. So far she had still to make any attempt to talk to the tiger prince, but the young tiger had been hiding shamelessly in his rooms, thus making a meeting quite difficult. The party would provide her an opening, and Baal was sure that she’d use it. He had her watched. He knew he couldn’t really stop her from talking to Tygra, but he’d intervene the moment it looked like she was doing more than just talk.

 

Tygra on his part was technically glued to Jareid’s side. The party was held in one of the ballrooms that had been adapted for the kits to play. Yeana was running around, followed by a bunch of overly energetic kittens and preteens, Lion-O included, trying every game that crossed their path. Tygra looked at them from his place at a table on the far side of the room. It was late afternoon, and they were just about to have the cake. He hadn’t seen Cheetara yet, but he was sure that she was around.

 

Jareid had one hand possessively on Tygra’s hip, and from time to time he caressed the tiger’s neck or the back of his head. Tygra was embarrassed at the display in front of so many people, but he didn’t dare to make Jareid stop. His show was at least keeping everyone at bay. So far only Saixa had been blunt enough to approach them, ignoring the growl that Jareid gave her. Bengali took the jaguaress away before she was hurt, and Tygra chuckled at Jareid’s affronted expression. He relaxed a bit after that and now his only worry was to stay clear of Cheetara.

 

They cut and ate the cake close to sunset. They barely finished before Yeana practically dragged Jareid to the centre of the room to help open her presents. Tygra was left alone after dismissing the look of worry that Jareid sent him with a wave of his hand. Then he moved to stand at one of the balconies’ doors so he could breathe some fresh air and get apart from the commotion and noise for a while. He had spotted Cheetara once or twice, sometimes with Xiao, and others talking to a few of the court ladies. Tygra shuddered to think what the courtesans could have told her. Maybe he should talk to her. He was considering what could be the best course of action when a delicate hand touched his arm, and he jumped.

 

He turned to look at Cheetara directly at his side. He gulped in nervousness. The vibrant red-tinted eyes were as bright as he remembered, and she had put a Day Astrid in her hair. Tygra couldn’t help but stare at her. She was still beautiful.

 

“Cheetara.”

 

“Hello prince Tygra. I’ve wanted to talk to you for some days now.”

 

Tygra bit his lip and looked awkwardly towards the circle of cats at the other side of the room. Jareid was hidden from sight, and apparently no one was paying attention to them. Cheetara followed his line of view and frowned. She had already heard enough gossip about the jaguar prince to start to dislike him. Though she really wasn’t one to let gossip influence her opinion, some of the things she had heard were very disturbing. The fact that Tygra seemed to be confined to somewhere inside the palace was doing nothing to improve her initial assessment of the situation.

 

“Tygra, I need to know, is the jaguar prince abusing you?”

 

“Wha…?”

 

The question took Tygra by surprise, and he turned to look incredulously at the cheetah. The cleric’s eyes widened when she caught sight of the angry bite at the tiger’s neck. It was the first time she had seen it. The day she had arrived, Tygra had been wearing a high collared tunic, which had covered the mark quite well. Now, it was on the open, and it looked painful. Tygra noticed where her eyes were focusing and quickly covered his mark with one hand.

 

“No! Listen Chee, this looks a lot worse than it is…”

 

“Really?” Cheetara crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow to him. “Tell me then, why I haven’t seen you around the palace? Don’t tell me that you are willingly staying locked in a room, Tygra. You’re not like that! You love the activity and to be outdoors. He is forcing you to stay secluded in his rooms, is he not? Why are you allowing it?”

 

Tygra clenched his fists in helplessness. What could he say? He couldn’t explain to Cheetara what was really happening. He wasn’t sure of how to do it. What was she going to think about him?

 

“No! It’s not like that! Chee, I… I can’t explain it right now, but Jareid is not forcing me to do anything… Not really, he just tends to exaggerate a little, and sometimes he could be a bit aggressive, but that’s the way he is…”

 

“Tygra, are you trying to justify him?”

 

The tiger stopped short. He shook his head, but the look of sadness that Cheetara was giving him left him mute. Was she… pitying him? Before he could think of something to tell her, Cheetara grabbed his arm gently and kissed his cheek.

 

“Emotional abuse can hurt more than the physical one. You have endured more than a year in this situation, Tygra.”

 

She took the Astrid from her hair and pushed it against Tygra’s open palm, then closed the male’s fingers over it.

 

“Please, don’t allow him to change what you are. He doesn’t have any right to do it, Tygra. Remember, you are a Thunderian prince. Remember your home, and the ones that love you. Those who are waiting for you to return to them.”

 

Tygra was speechless. Cheetara smiled to him and then turned away. Almost at the same time, Tygra felt a hand on his shoulder and Ben’s voice reached him through the daze he seemed immersed in.

 

“Tygra, are you all right?”

 

The young tiger blinked and gave a deep sigh. He turned to see Ben’s concerned face and smiled.

 

“I’m fine Ben. You were here the entire time, right?”

 

“Very close. Maybe I should have interrupted earlier?”

 

“No. It’s ok. I needed to talk to her sooner or later. There are still many things that I want to say.”

 

Been squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

 

“You have unfinished businesses with her.”

 

“That sounds like I’m about to die, Ben!”

 

Both tigers chuckled and the Shaman started to guide Tygra to find his mate.

 

“You know what I mean. She’s still your friend. You only need to explain and she’d understand.”

 

Tygra nodded. That was right. He needed to explain. Cheetara was assuming things and he had not cleared the situation. She was worried and she didn’t know the truth. She didn’t know many things.

 

Why then, he felt as if he wanted to cry?

 

&&&&&&&&

 

That night, Tygra sat on the bed, his legs folded and his crossed arms leaning on his knees, waiting for Jareid to join him.

 

The jaguar was tense. Bengali had told him that Cheetara had had a few words with Tygra and had suggested to take the tiger away and reassure him. Tygra scoffed and bit his thumb in nervousness. Sometimes Bengali forgot that Jareid was pants at reassurances. Jareid hadn’t said a word to him other than to get ready for bed. It was evident that he was angry, and trying his damnest to not let it go on Tygra.

 

The tiger was not sure of what to do. Cheetara’s words kept replaying themselves in his head, and he was aghast that they had cut too deep into his being. He sighed and tried to tell himself that she didn’t really know what was happening. She hadn’t been there, she couldn’t know how it had been for him. But her words, and the feeling behind them, refused to go away.

 

Jareid’s touch interrupted his flow of thoughts. The jaguar prince grabbed the back of Tygra’s neck and pulled slightly to make him stop biting his thumb and look at his mate. His very possessive mate that caressed his cheek and kissed him. Tygra moaned and let Jareid move him and push him flat on the bed. He wriggled a little and opened his thighs as Jareid’s hands roamed freely along his body. Then the jaguar’s mouth trailed kisses all over his face and ended up biting his mark hard. Tygra moaned and lifted his legs in reflex. He almost chuckled. Bengali had told Jareid to reassure Tygra, and the jaguar was going about it the only way he knew how. The joy to have such a sex-driven mate.

 

Tygra relaxed and lie passively, letting Jareid to continue, but he sobered up when the jaguar’s erection brushed lightly against his navel. His legs tried to close and one of his hands covered his stomach protectively.

 

“J-Jareid… the cubs…”

 

“Don’t worry… they’d be fine…”

 

Tygra whimpered as his mate continued his ministrations to his body. He wanted to tell Jareid to stop, but he didn’t dare. He didn’t want to anger the dominant male. It was easier, and safer, to just let him do what he wanted. Nevertheless, he shivered in fear. Since they had confirmed his pregnancy, any penetration had been constricted to oral sex. Bengali had not forbidden them to have any kind of sexual activity, but he had stressed the point that Tygra couldn’t engage in any strenuous activity. Taking that into account, Jareid had toned down their sex-play and intercourse quite a bit, so Tygra wouldn’t have to over-exert himself. But this time, it seemed like Jareid was not going to content himself with just oral sex or mutual masturbation.

 

Tygra tensed as his mate’s fingers inserted themselves into his passage. Jareid continued kissing him and touching his pressure points, forcing him to relax as he prepared him.

 

“It’s all right Tygra… Don’t panic… You know I won’t hurt you…”

 

The tiger moaned loudly as Jareid’s fingers pressed the right spot and continued stimulating it. The teen started to let the pleasure fog his mind and he wriggled helplessly in Jareid’s arms. The jaguar smirked, satisfied that his mate was responding like he wanted. When he considered that his tiger was ready, he changed their positions and put Tygra in front of him, both lying on their left side. He held Tygra close with an arm around the teen’s chest while with his other hand he grabbed and lifted the tiger’s right leg. Tygra could feel his mate’s erection slowly entering him from behind and he grabbed Jareid’s arm, waiting for the hard thrusts that his mate preferred. However there was no violent movement. Jareid pushed until he was buried to the root inside Tygra and then stopped. He kissed and groomed the tiger’s head and his hand caressed and played with Tygra’s chest and navel.

 

The tiger was confused for a moment, but soon Jareid’s mouth, sucking and licking at his neck, distracted him and he moaned. Jareid started to move his hips then, back and forth in a slow, steady rhythm. Just in and out, in and out, slowly, carefully. His goal was just that Tygra felt him inside his body. He was aiming to comfort his mate, not the passionate, wild sex to bring them release and pleasure. Tygra started to purr. Jareid had never taken him like this before. The jaguar was too instinctual and aggressive for that. Now he was taking his time, his movements were gentle, almost loving. This was not fucking, it was something else, and Tygra never wanted it to stop. He grabbed his own erection and started to stroke, almost lazily, following his mate’s rhythm.

 

They lasted longer than they usually did. Tygra released first with a gasp and a loud moan. His inner walls clenched around Jareid’s erection and the jaguar bit the tiger’s mark possessively as he too came inside the warm, smaller body. His arms surrounded his mate completely in a bear hug, and held him tightly. Tygra groaned and then relaxed, cuddling contently in his mate’s arms. He could feel the jaguar’s shaft still inside him, and Jareid’s tongue licking and nuzzling his neck and head.

 

“Mine…” Jareid purred at Tygra’s ear. “My tiger… my mate…”

 

Tygra purred in answer and he let his eyes close. His thoughts stopped for the moment. He felt content and safe. It was all he needed.

 


	17. Repercussions of a Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

 

Tygra woke up early in the morning, but he didn’t get up from the bed. One, because he was still half-asleep and lazy, and he didn’t want to move; and two, because Jareid’s tight embrace had not loosened in the least. He was trapped. The tiger wondered for a fleeting second if his mate was still sleeping. He sighed and decided that he could just lie there a bit longer.

 

However, now that he was awake, his mind started to work again. He groaned, wishing the treacherous thoughts away. It was no use. As sleep left his body, his thoughts regained clarity and Cheetara’s words made an appearance once more. Tygra bit his lower lip and tried to negate his friend’s assumptions. He had changed, that was right, but he felt he was entirely justified. He couldn’t have survived otherwise. He would have gone insane if he had not adapted. Still, the words kept repeating themselves. One in special was tormenting the tiger the most.

 

Tygra breathed Jareid’s scent, trying to calm himself. The tiger recalled painfully the first times that Jareid had put his hands on him. The very first time he had been claimed. There was no denying that there had been abuse then, but that was no longer the case. Right?

 

His hand moved to cover his lower abdomen, and caressed the bump that was barely there. He had convinced himself that having cubs had been the best option. He was carrying them because Jareid had wanted him to, but he could have pressed for them to find a carrier had he wished so.

 

He sighed and his sight wandered around what he could see of their room.

 

Their room.

 

His mind helpfully reminded him that it had taken a while for him to call the set of rooms _theirs_. He had moved into the wing at Jareid’s command. The jaguar had not even asked for permission. But at the time, Jareid had already claimed him, and considered him his mate, even without an official ceremony.

 

Tygra started to bit his lips. There were many little things that pointed to the fact that Jareid was ruling his life as the jaguar saw fit. His present state of nudity was just one more example of that. Jareid had said _‘prepare for bed’_ and that meant _‘dispose of the clothes’_ for him. It could be explained easily enough; after all, in the jungle the temperature didn’t drop as much at night as it had in Thundera. Sometimes it was really hot, even if it was raining. But Tygra knew that the real reason for him to not wear _anything_ to bed was simply because Jareid enjoyed having him naked. The jaguar had told him directly that he didn’t like him wearing any clothes in bed. Tygra had just obeyed, but that was only reasonable, Jareid was his dominant! It was easier to let him dictate every little thing.

 

Tygra groaned in despair. He had just realized that he was doing the very same thing the rest of the jaguar clan had been doing for years! Let Jareid do what he wanted, because it was easier that way! He might be insane after all.

 

Jareid moved at his back and nibbled his ear.

 

“Don’t think too loud… I’m cuddling…”

 

The tiger groaned and nipped at Jareid’s arm.

 

“Whoever can _think_ too loud? That’s impossible.”

 

“ _You_ can do it. Believe me, I can hear your brain cells working too hard!”

 

Tygra growled. He was _not_ thinking too hard! He was just allowing depression slowly take hold of him, that was all!

 

Jareid licked his ear and put a hand over his smaller one on his stomach. Tygra relaxed. If there was one thing he was certain of, was that Jareid already loved their cubs. Jareid was the one going over names and things that the cubs would need. Tygra had no idea where the jaguar was stashing everything he had afforded so far, but Bengali looked aghast every time Tygra saw him after a visit to the nursery. A nursery that the youngest tiger had yet to visit himself.

 

Besides that, Jareid had been trying to be solicitous and cater to Tygra’s craves and moods. The teen considered that he hadn’t been really difficult. All that he asked was that the jaguar left him some space to breath! But no matter what Cheetara might think, Jareid was presently acting as a caring mate. There was just one tiny little thing that the tiger was starting to long for, despite telling himself that it was ridiculous.

 

Jareid turned him around and kissed his lips. Tygra made an effort to focus on the present and stop his senseless worrying over past things that had no fixing now. Jareid nuzzled his cheek and looked at him questioningly.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m fine. My brain promises to work quietly.”

 

Jareid chuckled and kissed Tygra’s nose. The tiger made a face and stuck out his tongue.

 

“I don’t believe that. You think too much Tygra. What did the cleric tell you? I’m going to have words with her for making you upset.”

 

“I’m not upset! You don’t have to tell her anything. She’s only worried about me, because I’m not doing the kind of activity she knows I like. She still doesn’t know why, and she’s making her own theories.”

 

“Well, then I’d be telling her to stop. I can only imagine what crazy theories she could be thinking that would make you worry so much.”

 

Tygra shivered. He didn’t want Jareid and Cheetara talking. He was sure that no one would be able to stop the bloodshed.

 

“No, please. Don’t tell her anything yet. She’s still adjusting. Once she knows about the cubs, she’d understand.”

 

Jareid grunted and kissed Tygra again. He wanted his mate comfortable and in a good mood.

 

“I don’t want her upsetting you. It’s evident that her words affected you, and don’t deny it!”

 

Tygra sighed. It was true. Cheetara had managed to make him question himself, and rethink everything he had been through. Her words, her eyes, had hurt. Maybe it was due to the fact that she was representing Claudus in his mind. Whatever the reason, Tygra was very afraid of her reaction when she’d know about the cubs.

 

“It just got me thinking a little too much. Nothing more. I’m fine, really.”

 

Jareid grunted and decided not to press more for the moment. He made a mental note to talk to Bengali and ask him if he could handle the cheetah. Whatever she had told Tygra, it had made his tiger sad, and he wasn’t going to stand for it. Their cubs needed a stress-free environment, and he wasn’t keeping himself in line for another to come and mess with his mate’s moods. If the cleric was going to be a problem, she’d have to return to Thundera.

 

He kissed Tygra’s lips once more and caressed the slender neck of his mate gently.

 

“If you’re sure, then I won’t insist. But I don’t want you talking to her without Ben or myself present, ok?”

 

Tygra made a suffering sigh, but nodded.

 

“Fine. It’s not as if I’m seeing her daily anyway.”

 

Jareid smiled at him and kissed him a final time before getting up and walk towards the closet to get himself ready for the day. Tygra sat up on the bed, and waited for his mate to shower and get dressed. A strange feeling was appearing in him. He scowled and gritted his teeth, acknowledging the fact that, once more, he had agreed to do what Jareid wanted.

 

He sighed and tried to not think anymore. His cubs needed him to be relaxed. Jareid was just taking care of him. It was his job, after all, as the dominant male. He shouldn’t be worrying over a few concerned words.

 

Jareid finished his shower quickly and Tygra looked at him through the open door to the walk-in closet. The jaguar approached his mate once he was ready to go and lifted the tiger’s head for a haste kiss to the forehead.

 

“Aren’t you going to do your exercises?”

 

Tygra shrugged. He was not really in the mood for activity.

 

“I’m feeling lazy. I think I’m just going to shower and go to my study, to advance with my project. Maybe in the afternoon.”

 

Jareid narrowed his eyes. The exercise was important for Tygra’s health, but on the other hand he didn’t want his mate to stress himself more at the moment.

 

“Fine. Just make sure to eat breakfast before you get completely submerged in the book.”

 

“‘Course.”

 

The jaguar nodded. He’d like to stay and make sure that Tygra was not going to ignore his breakfast, but he had things to attend to. They were choosing Myron’s replacement and he had had to step in to alleviate the work. It was taking longer than usual because no one had been prepared for Myron to quit. However, everything was ready now and in two or three days they’d have the new commander. Then he would gladly drop everything and focus only on his tiger.

 

“Ok. I’ll see you at dinner. It’s going to be a very busy day.”

 

“It’s fine… Jareid…”

 

Tygra hesitated and licked his lips. The jaguar looked at him expectantly, but Tygra couldn’t make himself ask the question that had been on the tip of his tongue. It had no point. He knew the answer anyway.

 

“Nothing… It’s not important.”

 

Jareid put a finger under the tiger’s chin and tipped it up to look at the brown eyes.

 

“Are you sure?”

 

Tygra gulped. No, he was not sure of what had gotten into him. He only knew that he wanted Jareid to stay with him. He wanted to hear three words that he knew were a lie. He wanted Jareid to hold him, breath his essence and just pretend that the lie was truth. But he couldn’t ask Jareid to abandon his responsibilities to be with him. He was the heir, and had to act like it. Besides, Tygra was not even sure what he wanted Jareid to stay for. He certainly didn’t want the jaguar to see him mop and start asking uncomfortable questions.

 

“Yeah, sure. Don’t worry about me. Have a good day.”

 

“Very dubious, but I’d try.”

 

Jareid kissed him goodbye and walked away. Tygra waited until he was sure that his mate was gone and lied down again, sulking for absolutely no good reason.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Afternoon found Tygra on the puff in his study, snuggling with Snarf and not very mobile. He had been there almost the entire day. He had eaten breakfast and lunch because Bengali would have come barging into the room if he hadn’t, but he had not done much else. He had showered and dressed, and had attempted to work on his project, but he had found himself without energy to concentrate. Therefore he had called his tutor of the day to tell him that he won’t be seeing him, saying that he was feeling a bit under the water. His tutor had accepted his apology and so Tygra had spent the day on the puff with only Snarf to make him company. He just didn’t want to do anything or deal with any one. He had even been glad that Lion-O had some kind of test in the engineers’ workshop and wouldn’t be able to pay his usual visit.

 

However, as the afternoon past by, he started to grow bored. What the hell was he doing? He was a prince! He was not the type to lie around the entire day, or procrastinate for no good reason! He should be ashamed of himself!

 

He reprimanded himself for acting like a cub and got up. Snarf mewled questioningly at him while he stretched and moved his stiff joints. He decided to do his physical warm up and then glanced outside the window. It was not evening yet, and it wasn’t raining. He could go outside to one of the empty courtyards and get some fresh air.

 

“Come Snarf. Bengali did say that I shouldn’t neglect my physical routine.”

 

Snarf mewled in agreement and jumped down from the puff to walk beside him. Tygra tried to smile. He was going to act normal, there was nothing wrong with that, and he had no reason to keep hiding in his rooms after all.

 

&&&&&&

 

Tygra chose to walk directly to the one courtyard that would be technically deserted. It was where the hunters trained, but they had left for the jungle and won’t be returning until after dusk. The tiger watched as Snarf took a vantage point on the stone fence, and then relaxed and focused on his own body.

 

He started his usual routine, and soon he was immersed in the activity and forgot the world for a moment. Several minutes later, he suddenly stopped and turned towards the wall that separated the courtyard from an outer corridor. Cheetara was there, standing tall and just observing him. Tygra tried to put his nervousness under control and waited for her to say something. The cheetah smiled and nodded at him in greeting.

 

“Please, don’t stop. I’m glad that you decided to come out and start training again. You need to regain your previous physical condition.”

 

Tygra blushed a bit. Somehow he knew she had noticed his belly and of course had assumed that he simply had stopped all form of training.

 

“Well, I was almost finished. I really can’t be doing heavy exercise right now.”

 

Cheetara scowled and looked at him critically.

 

“What do you mean? Have you been hurt or something? You would have had to stop your training for some time now for you to be noticeably gaining weight already.”

 

Tygra groaned and bit his lips. His right hand automatically moved to cover his midsection. It was _barely_ noticeable, but Cheetara had known him very well. After a year of not seeing each other, she was quick to notice any change on him.

 

“Look, it’s kind of complicated. I’m not hurt, it’s just… Ben suggested to take it easy, I was tiring myself too much and… well…”

 

He hesitated. How could he explain to Cheetara that he was with cubs? She was not going to believe him. Hell, he still had problems believing it himself! He watched as the cleric jumped down from the wall and approached him.

 

“So, the shaman ‘suggested’ for you to low down your activity. You must have been driving yourself into exhaustion for a healer to advice you to stop. But to ‘take it easy’ doesn’t mean to stop entirely, Tygra.”

 

“I didn’t stop every activity! I just do a special routine…”

 

“Do you?” She was close enough to poke him in the waist. Tygra gave a panicked hiss and took a step backwards. “ _This_ tells a different story, my prince.”

 

_‘You have no idea how different.’_

 

Tygra gulped. Perhaps if he just blurted it out it would be easier? But the words refused to get out of his mouth and Cheetara misunderstood his nervousness for shame.

 

She looked around and spotted the rack of training weapons. She quickly got to it and took two staffs. She threw one at Tygra, who caught it automatically. She smiled at him. His reflexes were still good.

 

“Why don’t we spar a little? They told me that you have left the sword and are now training with the staff. I want to see how good you are.”

 

Tygra’s eyes widened in fear. She couldn’t be serious! He was not in condition to spar with her!

 

“Chee, wait! I can’t!”

 

But Cheetara was already over him, and Tygra had to raise his staff to stop the first blow, and then move quickly and jump backwards to avoid the second and third. Cheetara didn’t stop. She continued to attack him, and Tygra was hard pressured to meet her blows at par. He had seen her train many times before. She was much faster than he, and she knew how to use her speed. He had always thought that she was magnificent when she fought. She still was. Still moved like a dream, beautiful, and deadly. And he had no clue on how to stop her.

 

He didn’t have much time to ponder the situation. He only lasted a couple of harsh movements when an acute pain in his belly made him flinch. Cheetara’s staff hit him then on his side, with enough force to make him hesitate, and the next moment his feet were swiped out from under him. He fell to the ground. The pain worsened with the hit and Tygra groaned and curled into a tight ball. Cheetara didn’t realize what had happened. She would have delivered a final blow if Snarf hadn’t jumped to her face, hissing and spitting, intent on scratching her.

 

“What the…? Snarf! Stop! What’s the matter with you?”

 

She dropped the staff and managed to rid herself of the furious pet. Snarf landed in front of Tygra and turned towards her, his fur standing on end and ears flat backwards. He was still hissing at her, but she ignored him, noticing at last the position Tygra was in. The prince was biting his lips and groaning like he had suffered a serious injury, and his right hand was clutching desperately a communicator, pressing insistently the panic button that would summon Bengali.

 

Cheetara knelt close to his head, ignoring the hissing Snarf for the moment.

 

“Tygra? What’s wrong?”

 

“… Ugh… need Ben…”

 

“Ben? The shaman? Why? What happened? I can help you!”

 

Tygra shook his head in denial. Cheetara was ready to argue the point, but a worried voice interrupted at that moment.

 

“What’s happening here?”

 

Cheetara turned towards the white tiger, who looked like he had run all the way from the Shamans’ wing to the back courtyards. Ben took one look at Tygra and he was immediately at the young prince’s side. Cheetara reluctantly gave him space, figuring that he was Tygra’s healer now and would be able to deal with whatever was the problem better than her. She also noticed that Snarf would not hiss at him and frowned. She knew she was missing something important and she didn’t like it. She wanted to know what was happening or she wasn’t going to be any help to the princes.

 

She looked as Bengali worked, using some magic on Tygra and giving him a clear liquid. The young tiger seemed to relax, but he was still in pain. Ben injected him a mild sedative that knocked Tygra out. The shaman then turned to look at the cheetah for a moment before attempting to move Tygra.

 

“What was he doing?” He asked in worry. Cheetara shrugged helplessly.

 

“We were just training…”

 

“What?” Bengali’s eyes widened incredulously and the girl stared at him.

 

“It was nothing dangerous. We were just starting, in fact. He was used to hard physical activity back in Thundera, and he loves it, so…”

 

“He does training here, but not now! He can’t do it now! I…”

 

He lifted the younger tiger in arms and started towards the palace’s main building. Cheetara and Snarf followed him.

 

“What’s the problem? Look, I need to know if something happened to him, Jaga can…”

 

“No! No one of your clerics can deal with this! Look, I’m taking him to the clinic, you can wait for me in my office.”

 

“I’m not leaving him alone! Tell me what’s going on now!”

 

Bengali half turned and growled menacingly at her. He had no time for this! Fortunately, Saixa found them at that moment and joined in, looking worriedly at Tygra’s prone form.

 

“What happened?”

 

“Lady Saixa, I’m in an emergency here. Would you please take her to my office? I need to go!”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Wait!”

 

Cheetara fully intended to continue following Bengali, but Saixa got in her way. The white tiger walked away, but still yelled back as an afterthought.

 

“Jareid must not see her, Saixa! I’ll go as soon as I can!”

 

He disappeared, trusting that Saixa would find the better way to deal with the cleric. Saixa was able to stop Cheetara from following Ben. The cheetah was annoyed, but not angry enough to force her way.

 

“I need to be with my prince. I need to know what’s wrong with him!”

 

“Don’t worry. Bengali and the High Shaman are going to help him. You’d only be in the way.”

 

“This is not right! He’s stronger than this! He can last hours in combat! If his so called mate is the one responsible for his condition…!”

 

“Do not even think about it! You still don’t know how things work around here, but I must warn you to leave the princes’ relationship alone.”

 

“Do not tell me what I should do! I was sent to make sure that both Thunderian princes are being well treated. There’s something very wrong here. I’m going to find out what it is and I’m going to get Tygra away from whatever or whoever is hurting him. None of you have any right to put a finger on him! Not even your prince heir! I’m returning Tygra to Thundera in one piece!”

 

Saixa growled under her breath. The cheetah had fire, but if she thought she could take Tygra away from Jareid she had another thing coming. It was evident that she was still under the impression that the tiger would be returned to Thundera at the end of the year. No one in Ix-Maal was going to allow that to happen. It was better that the cleric understood that before she inadvertently caused a tragedy.

 

“Come with me. We’d wait for Bengali in his office, and in the meantime I’d explain what I can about Tygra’s… um… ‘problem’.”

 

Cheetara looked at the other female distrustfully. She wanted to go in search of the white tiger and demand answers, but she wasn’t going to be allowed to help Tygra and she might compromise his health if she turned herself into an annoyance. Maybe it’d be wiser to go with Saixa and wait for the shaman to return. After all, it looked like the older female knew something; maybe she could get some information. Cheetara calmed down and accepted to follow the jaguaress, hoping to get some truthful answers out of her.

 

&&&&&&

 

It was chaos once the rest of the family was informed that Tygra was in the Shamans’ wing. It took five guards, two of the shamans and the king to keep an enraged Jareid out of the clinic. No easy feat, considering that the king was also pretty much upset and wanted to know what the hell had happened as much as his son.

 

The shamans had to enlist the queen’s help. She at least managed to convince the two dominant males to be reasonable and wait. Well, at least she convinced her own mate, Jareid had to be given something to calm down and threatened with confinement to his rooms if he didn’t behave.

 

The royal family spent the night in the clinic’s hall, none of them willing to go to sleep until they had news about Tygra. Even Lion-O stubbornly refused to go to his room. He sat on an armchair with Yeana at his side and Snarf on his lap, and glared at the clinic’s door. Eventually both kits grew too tired and succumbed to sleep, one over the other. The adults then called the servants to carry the kits to their respective beds, and continued waiting.

 

It was close to dawn when Xiar finally got out of the clinic and groaned upon seeing the anxious face of the jaguar prince. He was not going to take the news well. Fortunately, they had managed to save the pregnancy. Nevertheless, Xiar was sure that as soon as Jareid knew what had happened all hell was going to break loose. He gave a deep breath and hoped that they could sort everything out with the minimum of damage.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra lied on his side on a clinic’s bed. He was in a small recovery room, and the bed was against a corner, allowing him the illusion of hiding. He was shivering despite being covered with a blanket and the room’s temperature being nice enough. He had almost lost his cubs. It was a terrible thought and he couldn’t rid himself of the guilt it was causing him. But more than that, he was terribly afraid of Jareid’s imminent reaction.

 

The jaguar was going to be furious. Not only had Tygra disobeyed his order to not talk with Cheetara alone, he had allowed the cheetah to attack him and had put his cubs in danger. Granted, Cheetara had not really ‘attacked’ him. She had been playing. There had never been any intention to hurt him. But Jareid wouldn’t see it that way. All the jaguar would see was that Tygra had been very close to miscarriage.

 

Tygra had begged Ben to not mention Cheetara when he reported what had happened to his mate, but the shaman was not sure it was a good idea, as it would leave Tygra as the sole focus of Jareid’s anger. Besides, Xiar was the one that would do the report, and it was unlikely that the High Shaman would feel any sympathy for Cheetara. Tygra hoped that at least someone had had the good sense to keep the cheetah away for the moment. He didn’t want his friend hurt. It wasn’t her fault that no one had seen fit to explain Tygra’s pregnancy to her. It had been his own fault.

 

There was a loud roar outside the door to his room and Tygra pushed himself against the wall at one side of the bed. Not a minute later the door to his room opened and Jareid entered, evidently furious, and snarled at Tygra in rage. The tiger curled into a tight ball, trying to protect his belly as much as he could. He closed his eyes and whimpered in fear, waiting for the first blow. He could feel his enraged mate getting at the side of the bed in two steps, and the vibration of the wall as Jareid punched it with force above Tygra’s head. The tiger tried to disappear under the blanket. Jareid roared again and tore the blanket away without consideration.

 

“What in hell were you thinking?!! You know you can’t just go and train as always!! What were you trying to do, Tygra?!!”

 

Tygra started to cry. He was frozen in fear and there’d be no way for him to answer.

 

Another roar was heard and Jareid was momentarily distracted from his cowering mate as he turned to confront the other male. The jaguar roared in anger at the white tiger who approached the bed with the firm intention of getting between Jareid and Tygra.

 

“Go away Ben! This is not your business!”

 

“No! You back off, Jareid! You’re making things worse!”

 

“I?! How am I making things worse?!!” He punctuated his question with another blow to the wall that made Tygra whimper. Ben’s growl intensified. “I tried to be reasonable! I tried to keep myself on check! And I’m apparently **the only one** who wants this pregnancy to succeed! My own mate doesn’t seem to care enough to follow the basic advice of not forcing himself!!”

 

“It was an accident! Tygra didn’t want this to happen! He called for help as soon as he possibly could! He’s barely out of danger. He needs to rest. And you yelling at him is certainly not helping!”

 

Jareid roared and hit the wall one last time. Then he started to pace from one side of the room to the other as he did when he was utterly angry and without options to release his rage on someone or something. He was barely aware that his parents and Xiar were at the door, watching him and ready to intervene if he couldn’t calm down. They would have stopped him if Bengali hadn’t used his magic to protect Tygra. Jareid could still feel the shaman’s energy around his mate. Even if he had tried to hit the tiger, he would not have been able to touch him.

 

Xilara walked towards her son in an attempt to try and drag him out of the room again. Jareid stopped his pacing and snarled at her. He lifted his hands, preventing his mother from getting too close. He didn’t want her near him. He was too distressed and angry. It was better if they left him alone. He growled menacingly when his father approached too. Baal snarled at him and stood his ground.

 

“Come with us, Jareid. Let your mate rest, he needs it.”

 

Jareid shook his head and continued growling.

 

“No!”

 

“Son, please.” Said Xilara, worried for both princes. “He’s too scared right now, give him some time to recover.”

 

“I’m not leaving him! He’s my mate!”

 

Baal gave a step forwards and tried to glare down his son.

 

“Jareid…”

 

“No! You gave him to me! He’s mine! And I’m staying here with him until I can take him to my rooms again! I’m not leaving him!”

 

Baal growled in frustration while Xilara tried to convince their son that his presence at the moment was only going to hurt Tygra. As enraged as the jaguar prince was he would only put more stress on the already terrified tiger. But Jareid wouldn’t listen. He insisted on staying at his mate’s side and no one would convince him otherwise.

 

Finally, Ben managed to cajole him into allowing the shaman to give him a tranquilizer. Jareid despised the substance. He felt like they were drugging him, but he understood that he needed to calm down if he wanted everyone to leave and be alone with his tiger. Besides, he wasn’t so enraged that he truly wanted to hurt his mate or his cubs. He only wanted to grab the tiger’s arms and shake him until he saw how stupid he had been, and promised to not do it again! He was faintly aware that his anger was not letting him think coherently, but damn it! He had been too close to lose his cubs! He felt that his rage was entirely justified!

 

After a shot of a mild sedative, Jareid finally slowed down and stopped roaring. His mother wanted to be sure that he’d be fine, and she made Bengali promise to watch over both mates. Jareid assured everyone that he was not going to hurt Tygra and that he’d try to get some sleep with his mate. They reluctantly accepted to leave, but made sure to turn on the emergency cameras installed in the room.

 

As soon as everyone but Bengali left, Jareid turned to the bed again. Now that he had been forced to take the tranquilizer he was starting to feel his limbs heavy. In his semi-drugged state he noticed for the first time that Tygra was shivering and crying quietly. Ben had somehow procured another blanket and Tygra was entirely wrapped in it, looking for what little comfort it could provide.

 

Jareid sat on the bed, using the headboard to support his back, and put his hand gingerly on Tygra’s head. The tiger made a distressed sound and tried to duck under the blanket. Jareid growled lowly in warning at his mate’s attitude. He didn’t like when Tygra reeked of fear, even less when he knew the fear was caused by his presence. Tygra whimpered in response, but didn’t try to shy away from his touch anymore. Jareid started to move his hand soothingly, hoping to calm his mate down.

 

Ben watched the jaguar warily for some moments, until he convinced himself that the sedative was doing its job, and Jareid wasn’t going to hurt Tygra. The white tiger sat on an armchair close by, and tried to relax. Hopefully, the worst would have passed.

 

Jareid combed the fur on Tygra’s head with his hand in a soothing, repetitive motion. The tiger sobbed a couple of times, but as Jareid’s adrenaline dropped, Tygra’s fear started to recede too. Several minutes later, he risked looking up at his mate. Jareid was still awake, but visibly more relaxed. Tygra tried to take that as encouragement, and moved a bit to get closer to his mate. Jareid felt the change in position and looked down, trying to assess Tygra’s mood. His mate was not shivering in fear anymore, though the smell still lingered. He was still crying and looked downright miserable. Jareid wanted to scold his mate, but he didn’t have the heart or the energy to do so at the moment. He settled for cleaning the tears away and pull Tygra more firmly against his hip and leg. Tygra sobbed and spoke quietly.

 

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry…”

 

Jareid grunted. His mind was in no state to discuss with anyone. He rubbed his tiger’s head and neck and interrupted him. His words only a bit slurred.

 

“Don’t talk about it now… just sleep… You need to rest.”

 

Tygra nodded cautiously and obediently closed his eyes. Jareid’s hand continued massaging his head and neck, until the jaguar relaxed enough to fell in a slight slumber. He was not asleep, but he couldn’t consider himself really awake either. He felt like he was semi-comatose, and he knew that he’d be impeded to move if he’d wanted to. That was what he hated more about the sedatives. If an emergency were to happen he’d be utterly useless and unable to protect himself and his mate. The only thing that allowed his mind to not fell into panic was that Bengali was with them, close to the door. The white tiger was very loyal and Jareid knew he wouldn’t let anything happen while they were asleep.

 

Having no choice but to relax, Jareid allowed himself to succumb to tiredness and slept for a couple of hours.

 

&&&&&&&

 

It was evening again when Xiar finally decided that Tygra was stable enough to leave the clinic. Lion-O insisted on visiting the tiger and talked with him a little to assure himself that his brother was not dying. After that, Jareid carried a greatly subdued tiger back to their rooms. They had something to eat, and then Jareid sat on his new sofa with Tygra on his lap. The tiger’s head rested easily against his neck and shoulder, and he surrounded the younger cat’s hips with his arms loosely.

 

Tygra was depressed and wanted Jareid to hug him more firmly, but he could feel that his mate was still tense. He sighed sadly. They had not talked at all, and he knew that Jareid was doing an effort to not yell at him. He tried to nuzzle his mate’s neck and received a grunt in response.

 

“You’re still mad at me.” He said resignedly. Jareid growled and answered with barely contained anger.

 

“Of course I am. I can not phantom what possessed you to go and…!?”

 

He interrupted himself. He had been starting to yell, and Tygra was shivering again. Both were silent for a minute, until Tygra took one hand to his mouth and started nibbling on it. Jareid growled and grabbed Tygra’s closed fist, pulling it away from his mouth.

 

“Don’t do that.” He said in a hiss. Tygra sobbed.

 

“I’m sorry. I just wanted to get out. To stop hiding. I had no idea that she would be there, and I couldn’t find the words that she’d listen to, and…”

 

“She?!”

 

Jareid tensed and his voice had more than a bit of angry surprise in it. Tygra swallowed, realizing that he didn’t know what exactly Xiar had told the family about his ordeal.

 

“Tygra, what exactly did you do?”

 

Jareid’s voice promised a world of pain if he didn’t like the answer. Tygra shivered, but his mind was clear enough to start working again. He asked Jareid what Xiar had told him, as it looked like the jaguar prince was putting all the blame on his mate. Tygra was well enough now to start to wonder why Jareid had not gone after Cheetara, or mentioned her at all. Jareid narrowed his eyes at him and confessed that he had stopped listening the moment Xiar had mentioned that Tygra’s body had reacted to an excess of physical effort. He had not thought that there might had been a reason why Tygra had been doing more exercise than he was supposed to.

 

The tiger groaned and ducked his head. He was not sure if he should be upset that Jareid had just assumed that he had exhausted himself on purpose, or relieved that Cheetara had not even crossed the jaguar’s mind. Tygra knew that Jareid would not have stopped himself from lashing out with all he had with Cheetara as he had done with his mate. He also imagined that the reason why Jareid got to hit the walls too close to his bed and no one had stopped him was because everyone had been fully prepared to stop the jaguar from going after the cleric, not for him turning to the room to rage at his mate.

 

He debated for a moment if he should make his displeasure at being yelled at known, but after a moment he just sighed and resigned himself to the fact that Jareid could have done much worse. He hadn’t actually been hurt, just scared out of his mind. He however told his mate that he didn’t appreciate the jaguar’s assumption that he would endanger his cubs for no reason at all. Jareid growled at him, but tried to calm down and accepted that his anger had taken the best of him. He insisted on being told the entire story then, and Tygra bit his lips, wondering what to say. He didn’t want Jareid storming out and hunting Cheetara, but he didn’t like to feel his mate’s anger at him either. Besides, the cheetah could take care of herself, and she had had an entire day of advantage. Jareid was not going to take the palace by surprise now. The cleric should be safe.

 

He told Jareid everything that had happened, and apologized again for failing in stopping Cheetara. She was too fast and there really had been no option but to defend himself. The female cleric would not have stopped if Snarf hadn’t jumped at her.

 

Jareid was furious. How dare that little chit! He was going to do something about her! He was just about to stand up and leave Tygra on the bed to go and find the cleric, but the tiger clung to his neck and begged him to not do anything. Jareid sat back unhappily, growling to himself. He wanted to go and hurt someone.

 

“Please Jareid. Stay with me, please. Don’t go looking for her, you’re too angry right now.”

 

“Of course I am angry! She attacked you Tygra! And you could have lost the cubs! That’s not something I’m willing to just let pass!”

 

“It was an accident, and nothing happened! Please Jareid, she had no idea that I could be in danger! Our cubs are fine, and I’m going to stay where you want, please.”

 

“Why are you so interested in her well-being? She is an outsider!”

 

“Not to me! Even if she were, I don’t want you to do something foolish and unbecoming of a prince! Besides, she’s my friend.”

 

Jareid didn’t like that last part, and he roared.

 

“Tygra!”

 

“She’s only my friend! Like Saixa! That’s why she is so worried that I’m not doing the things that I used to do!”

 

Jareid growled dangerously, but managed to remain seated and not just drop the tiger and go in search of the female. Tygra rubbed himself against Jareid’s body and tried to hug him firmly.

 

“Please, Jareid. I’m not returning to Thundera, I chose to stay here, with you and our cubs. No one is going to change that now, I promise... Please.”

 

The jaguar prince was very upset. Tygra feared for a moment that he was not going to be able to stop his mate from leaving the room and going to confront Cheetara. He didn’t let go of Jareid’s neck; he clung to it like a lifeline and burrowed his face on the jaguar’s juncture of neck and shoulder. He felt some tears of desperation run down his cheeks, but he ignored them. Fortunately, he didn’t have to plead again. Jareid smelled his tears and reluctantly tried to stop his growling. He couldn’t be mad with Tygra. He had to make an effort for his pregnant mate and his cubs.

 

Jareid leaned his cheek on the tiger’s head and tightened his hold on the young body, trying to reassure himself with his mate’s sole presence. Tygra sniffed and Jareid kissed his forehead.

 

“I want you safe, Tygra. I don’t want this to repeat itself again! You’re… You know I can’t lose you.”

 

“I know…”

 

“You’re not leaving the rooms again on your own, do you understand? That is an order!”

 

“Yes… I-I…” Tygra sighed; Jareid was not going to make it easy for him. “I’ll stay here. I promise not to get out alone again.”

 

Jareid kissed his head one more time. Somehow it made Tygra feel better. He cuddled against his mate, looking for comfort. He still sniffed a couple of times, but both of them were calmer now and Tygra only wanted to relax. However, there was something insistently nagging him at the back of his mind. The tiger tried to ignore it. It was foolish, and he already had tested Jareid’s patience enough for one day. But the thought refused to go away and it was starting to make him feel miserable.

 

He cleaned away his own tears and tried to not sob. Jareid produced a tissue for him and caressed his face, starting to groom him with care. It wasn’t really helping; it only made the thought in his head more insistent. He finally sighed and decided to risk upsetting his mate again. He just wanted the pesky thought to go away.

 

“Jareid… would you… tell me a lie?”

 

The jaguar looked down at his mate in confusion. He didn’t understand the question.

 

“Sorry?”

 

“Tell me a lie… just once…”

 

Jareid blinked, not sure of what his mate was saying.

 

“A lie? What lie could you possibly want me to tell you?”

 

“Just… tell me you love me? Just this one time… please?”

 

Jareid was dumbfounded. He kept silent and totally motionless for several moments. Tygra swallowed and ducked his head. He was just about to apologize for his ridiculous request, when Jareid scratched the back of his ear gently and brushed his lips against his forehead.

 

“I love you, my tiger. My mate.”

 

Tygra sighed in relief. He kissed Jareid’s neck and closed his eyes. It was a lie. He knew it was. Nevertheless, it was something his heart was aching for.

 

“Thank you, Jareid.”

 

The jaguar continued sitting there, holding the young tiger like a precious treasure. He continued caressing the stripped head, and rubbing his mate’s back, until the tiger fell asleep. Even then, he didn’t stand up, preferring to keep Tygra on his lap a bit longer and put some clarity in his mind.

 

He had been baffled by the youth’s request. He wasn’t one to use the word ‘love’ very often. He had only ever said ‘I love you’ to his mother, and that had been a long time ago, when he had been still a kit. He considered those words unnecessary, as he rather demonstrated his attachment to his family in other ways. Therefore, he had never expected that Tygra would want to hear them, especially since, apparently, the tiger thought they were a lie. And that was also very confusing. If Tygra thought that Jareid didn’t really ‘love’ him, why would he want the jaguar to lie and tell him he did? It had no sense.

 

He sighed and looked at his mate again. His very young mate, who hadn’t even reached adulthood yet. The tiger had been taken from his home, and technically forced to start a new family with him. Perhaps it was only reasonable that he would want a bit of love in exchange for what he had had to give up. Holding his tiger close, and rubbing his cheek on the young head, Jareid thought that it wouldn’t be that hard to give the teen the affection he wanted.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Cheetara was fretting. It had been a rough day, and she hadn’t been allowed to see Tygra. She needed to see Tygra and make sure that he was fine. What Saixa had told her was simply incredible, and if it hadn’t been for Lion-O confirming it, she wouldn’t have believed one bit of it. Bengali had not appeared by his office. He had sent one of the younger shamans to tell them that things had gotten complicated and he had had to stay with the tiger prince.

 

Everything was very suspicious and Cheetara honestly didn’t know if she should listen to what Saixa and Lion-O had told her. She didn’t doubt the prince’s word, but she considered that Lion-O was still young and impressionable, and very much in love with technology. He’d believe anything they’d tell him.

 

The cheetah worried about the entire situation as she sat on the roof of one of the many buildings that constituted the palace. They had told her that she should avoid any chance to meet Jareid for the time being. They had impressed on her that the jaguar prince would be furious with her, and _that_ , apparently, was very bad for her continued well-being. Such warning certainly didn’t reassure her, nor did it improve her image of the type of cat her prince was mated to.

 

She needed to speak with Tygra and confirm the truth of the supposed pregnancy. Then she would think about what to do. She had her orders, she had been sent to protect Lion-O and procure to diminish the jaguars’ influence on him. Also, she was to reassure Tygra and help him get through the year. Claudus wanted his two sons back home and the nightmare with the jaguars ended. Cheetara was supposed to find and eliminate any tricks that the jaguars could concoct to retain the tiger in Ix-Maal. Everyone in Thundera had assumed that Baal was not going to let go of his prey easily. They had feared that the mating rite could have been changed, so it would allow consummation even without an heir. Yabin however had assured them that the rite had taken place as it should. If there wasn’t a true heir from both lines within the year there would be no reason for Tygra to remain bonded to the jaguar prince.

 

Still, Claudus knew that Baal could make up something else, only to make it difficult for the tiger to return to Thundera. The jaguar king had given up Lion-O too easily. He might have been expecting Claudus to be content and just forget about his adopted son, but such thing was not going to happen. Granted, no one had expected Lion-O pulling his stunt and sneaking back with the jaguars. Claudus had resigned himself to the fact that his son was a better brother than he himself was a father. He certainly had just assumed that Tygra didn’t need any kind of help and that he’d be fine without having to worry about his younger sibling. He hadn’t considered that Lion-O could have been providing moral support for his brother. He had realized how wrong he had been once he had talked with his little lion and had re-read the note his son had left behind. Now he was haunted by the fear that Baal could have done something to retain Tygra. Maybe forcing a consort into the mating and passing a jaguar cub as legal heir. Such thing would not be enough to satisfy the terms of the rite, but it could make Tygra stay in Ix-Maal nonetheless if somehow they convinced him that the cub was his, or if they indeed forced him to breed with the consort. Tygra would never abandon a cub that was his, Claudus was certain of that.

 

Jaga had imagined different scenarios and had prepared Cheetara to deal with them. Her goal had been to reassure Tygra that he would not have any attachments to the jaguars once the year was over. If there would be any cub that were indeed Tygra’s, Cheetara was to warn Jaga and they’d find the way to keep the cub so Tygra would be free to take it with him. Cheetara had been ready to confront almost any problem that could be thrown her way. Now, all that preparation and Jaga’s counselling were useless. No one had ever expected for Tygra to be the one actually pregnant! It was blowing her mind!

 

She had to get in touch with Jaga, but before that, she had to be absolutely sure that it wasn’t a trick. And more importantly, how could they have convinced Tygra to do such a thing! Tygra should have known that without an heir he’d be free to return to Thundera! Cheetara could not believe that prince Tygra would just renounce to his home, so there must have been some kind of coercion there.

 

Jareid came to her mind, and she growled. Another thing she had not been prepared for was the jaguar prince’s… astounding personality. The few times he had had any contact with the Thunderians he had given the impression of a quiet being, not talking much and apparently detached from political proceedings. Everyone had gotten the impression that the prince just followed Baal’s lead and wouldn’t care about Tygra one way or the other.

 

They had been so wrong.

 

What Cheetara could see now was that a great part of Baal’s interest in Tygra was due to his son’s own fixation with the tiger. Everyone that the cheetah had talked to had mentioned in some way how possessive the jaguar prince was of his young mate. Not only that, they were giving Cheetara an image of a very violent and dangerous prince, who saw other cats as things to be possessed, and wouldn’t tolerate any attempt to take his property away from him. Cheetara had acquired the distinct impression that, for Jareid, Tygra was property. The notion didn’t sit well within her, and the attitude she had seen from Tygra had not been reassuring either. Tygra was not the boisterous and confident prince he had been in Thundera, and Cheetara didn’t like the scared boy she had found instead of her prince.

 

The cheetah sighed and massaged her temples as she worried about what to do. Tygra had been subjected to the jaguars’ treatment for more than a year. It was obvious that he had adapted to what had been thrown at him. Still, a year and a few months seemed a short time for such a change in personality. Something else must have happened for Tygra to accept any submissive role so completely. Cheetara had known that the tiger would probably had had to _act_ contrite to keep the peace with his mate, but accepting a pregnancy was no act. Tygra was showing submissiveness to the jaguar prince in a blatant way.

 

She had to find out what had happened. She needed to talk with Tygra and find the way to help him. And if the pregnancy turned out to not be a lie after all, she would have to do something about it too.

 

 


	18. Talks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

Jareid walked through the palace’s halls, intent on finding the cheetah and put an end to her meddling. Tygra could say that she had meant no harm, but Jareid was not going to let the fact that she had fought with his pregnant mate go unpunished. He wanted her three feet under ground, or at the very least on a ship back to Thundera, for he knew that Tygra would be very upset if he killed the female cleric.

 

His mate had talked with him that morning, and had assured him that the cheetah was a good friend. They had met when she had been looking for acceptance within the clerics, and they had continued seeing each other occasionally. Their contact had not been frequent, but as other kits had been extremely rare in Thundera’s palace, she had been allowed to be around enough to establish a friendship with the tiger prince.

 

Jareid growled as he got down to the ground floor. He didn’t like the fact that Tygra and the cheetah were close. She was attractive, strong enough, and part of the Thunderian court. She could have been a good prospect for a mate if Tygra had remained in his previous home. Maybe the lion king had sent her with the intention to remind his son of what he could have if he returned. Well, Jareid was not going to stand for it. She’ll stop messing with _his_ mate, or he was going to break every bone in her body. He could do it without killing her; that should appease his mate’s fear.

 

He went out to the courtyards and started to walk where he knew Lion-O trained. The cheetah should be close to her charge, there wasn’t much more for her to do apart from trailing after the lion heir. He found the group easily enough. The kits were practicing different moves with dummies under the watchful eyes of their trainer.

 

The cleric had been watching from the stone fence at the far side of the courtyard. She stood up and jumped to the floor to meet him as soon as she noticed his approaching figure. She was ready to talk to him and discuss various things concerning Tygra. She, however, had no idea of how Jareid’s mind worked and was thus completely unprepared for the punch that the jaguar aimed at her as soon as he was close enough. Her reflexes alone saved her from being hit square in the nose, Jareid’s fist passed barely inches from her head instead, but she wasn’t able to dodge the jaguar’s arm whipping out in retaliation and sending her some meters to the side.

 

She tried to recover quickly and was ready for the next attack. She managed to dodge and defend herself from the first few blows. Her speed helped her somewhat, but Jareid was an almost full-grown cat. Even if he didn’t have the bulk of a veteran, he certainly didn’t need it for his blows to be effective. Cheetara was Tygra’s age. She was the most advanced of the cleric’s apprentices, but she had never before had to fight an enraged cat, several times stronger than her, and who was not giving her any space or opportunity to manoeuvre. She tried to take out her staff, but the jaguar prince didn’t allow her a respite to do so.

 

She needed to put distance between herself and the roaring male, who wouldn’t stop his attack. She hit him a few times with fists and kicks, but it seemed to have no effect. Jareid wasn’t even flinching. She tried a desperate kick to his privates, which he stopped with one hand, and then she managed to hit the side of his face with one elbow, only to feel his fist connecting with her stomach and forcing her backwards. Her back hit the stone-wall painfully and Jareid closed on her, grabbing her arms and lifting her body effortlessly.

 

He slammed her against the wall and the back of her head hurt and she was seeing stars along Jareid’s growling face. She started to kick out hoping to do some damage and get the jaguar to release her, but Jareid roared at her and grabbed her neck tightly enough to make breathing difficult. She gasped and opened her mouth, fighting to get more air into her lungs. Jareid loomed over her and spoke very coldly.

 

“I do not like you around my mate. I do not appreciate your intervention the other day or you talking to Tygra at all! I don’t want to upset him more than he already is, so I won’t kill you. But rest assured that if you try to do anything to mess with my mate or my cubs, I will send you back to Thundera in tiny little pieces. He’s not your prince anymore. He’s mine! Do not ever forget it.”

 

Cheetara was turning blue when the pressure was suddenly gone and she fell to the ground. She coughed a few times and lifted her eyes in time to see Lion-O and the rest of the kits running towards her. She wanted to tell them to stay aside, but Jareid was already walking away, unconcerned about what could happen to her next. Lion-O’s trainer crouched at her side and told her to not move while he checked her. Cheetara put her coughing under control. Her entire body ached and she was sure that she’d have at least some cracked ribs. She was in pain, but that didn’t stop her from noticing that the kits had been really close by and Jareid hadn’t cared. More so, the trainer had not even tried to stop the jaguar prince at all.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid found Bengali on his way to the palace. The white tiger was in a hurry and didn’t look happy to see him.

 

“Jareid! What has just happened? What did you do?”

 

“I only delivered a warning, that’s all. And how do you know I did something?”

 

“Lion-O called me! Very scared, in fact! You didn’t have to beat her in front of the kits!”

 

“I didn’t beat her senseless! I only put her in her place! If she’s smart she’ll back the heck off!”

 

Bengali put a hand on his face and groaned. He had never liked the easiness with which Jareid could get out of control, and now he was surpassing the limits almost constantly.

 

“Jareid, you didn’t have to go and hit her, at all!”

 

“Nonsense. She wants to take Tygra away! She needed to be reminded that he’s mine! Only a well aimed blow could drive the point home!”

 

“She’s not a dominant male! You don’t need to show off how much stronger than her you are! Gezz Jareid, if Tygra hears about this…!”

 

“He doesn’t have to. Would you relax? I didn’t kill her. I barely played with her a little.”

 

Knowing the amount of damage that Jareid’s “play” could inflict, Bengali felt the urge to continue his way and attend the cheetah quickly.

 

“I really need to talk to you about some things Jareid, and I need you to listen, but I realize that you’d only ignore me as always. Just please, don’t say anything in front of Tygra at the moment.”

 

“Of course not! Do you think I’m mad?”

 

“Sometimes I wonder.”

 

Jareid bared his teeth at Ben and the shaman backed off. He had to go and have a look at the cleric. Jareid could have hurt her seriously without even realizing he had done so.

 

“I better go and take her to the clinic…”

 

“Why are you making such a big deal for the cheetah?”

 

“I don’t really care much for her per se. I’m really much more worried about you and Tygra here.”

 

“What? Why?” Jareid’s look of incredulity clenched at Bengali’s heart. The fact that the prince could not see the real problem with his behaviour was very alarming. Ben sighed and looked forward to the next courtyard.

 

“Look, I promise I’ll talk with you later. I really need to make sure that our guest is not severely injured first.”

 

“I told you, I only…”

 

“Yes, you only ‘played’ with her. But you tend to forget your own strength Jareid. She might be a cleric, but she’s still only an apprentice. She’s as young as Tygra, and a female! Besides, cheetahs have lighter bones than your average cat, it’s easier to break them. So, I have to make sure that you didn’t cause more damage than you meant to.”

 

Jareid scowled pensively. He had over-sighted the girl’s species, and honestly the anatomical implications of her being a cheetah had been far from his mind. Anyway, that wouldn’t have deterred him from beating the daylights out of her, so it didn’t really matter in the long run. He waved a dismissing hand to Bengali and assured him that he was overreacting. He didn’t understand why the white tiger was worried about him and his mate. He was not going to tell Tygra about how he had settled things with the cheetah, and now that he had that particular annoyance out of his system, he’d be able to be close to his mate without stressing him with his adrenaline. Bengali gave him a last worried look, and then ran over to the courtyard.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Lion-O sat in the clinic’s room, looking in concern as Ben finished tending to Cheetara. Miraculously, there have been no broken bones, but the cleric was going to be sporting several bruises and tender ribs for a time. The marks on her neck were particularly vicious.

 

The lion was conflicted. On one hand, he had been expecting something like this. Jareid was the type of cat that solved things with violence, and Cheetara had put Tygra’s pregnancy in jeopardy. Lion-O had known that the jaguar prince was going to take retaliation from her at some point, and he had known that it’d be messy and violent. But to actually see the prince attacking the cheetah had been a shock. He and his teammates had been quite scared and had hid behind their trainer, who had tried to shield them and not attract Jareid’s attention. In the confusion, Lion-O had had the presence of mind to call Bengali, because he knew that the white tiger was the only cat willing to try to stop Jareid when the prince was in a rage. Though it was still doubtful that Bengali would have wanted to put himself in harm’s way for Cheetara, it had been worth a try. But everything had ended up very fast, and Jareid had left before Bengali had arrived, leaving an injured cheetah behind.

 

The lion was grateful that Jareid had not killed her, but the incident had forced him to acknowledge various truths, and had raised doubts in his overactive mind. He had resented Cheetara for having forced his brother to train, thus making him almost lose the cubs, but the way Jareid had reacted was just wrong in many levels.

 

That was not the only glaring truth. The fact was that Lion-O knew that every cat in the vicinity had known that Jareid’s actions had been wrong, and still no one had tried to stop it. The detail that the witnesses had been a bunch of kits and a trainer, most concerned with his charges’ safety than with a stranger cleric’s health, was not really important. Lion-O also knew that the entire guard could have been there with them, and still no one would have moved a finger to stop Jareid. The fact that the prince had attacked a female outsider was also irrelevant. Jareid could have been beating one of the jaguar shamans to a bloody pulp and still would have not been stopped. The painful reality was that Jareid could get away with doing things that were inherently wrong because, somehow, he had the right to do whatever he bloody pleased. The implications of that particular truth were rapidly spreading in the young lion’s mind.

 

He needed to ask several questions and he didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t like the answers.

 

He waited until Ben assured him that Cheetara was going to be fine and that she only needed rest. The cheetah did look better, so Lion-O smiled at her and told her he’d see her the next morning. Cheetara cautioned him to be careful and to check on his brother if possible. Lion-O sighed and nodded. He was going to talk with Tygra, but not exactly for the reason Cheetara wanted him to.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

As soon as Lion-O left the room, Bengali sighed and rubbed his temples. He knew that the young lion was worried. He’d have to talk with both Thunderian princes and make sure that Tygra wouldn’t over-stress himself. He could see that Cheetara was going to use this incident to try and pull Tygra away from Jareid. He hoped that the tiger wouldn’t listen to her, or there was going to be hell to pay. The girl was very upset already and it was likely that she’d want to shield both princes from the perceived threat that was Jareid. Ben didn’t have much leverage over her, the way he had had with Tygra, to make her stop antagonizing the jaguar prince. Anyway, he’d have to try, before Jareid decided to do something more permanent.

 

The fact that she was Tygra’s friend could be very bad… or very good. Ben thought that they still had a chance to salvage the situation and prevent a major issue. He’d just have to enlist Tygra’s help on it. For the moment it’d be enough if he got the cheetah to back off and keep her distance from the young couple. He imagined that she’d want to talk with Tygra and follow his every move. He had to find the way to discourage her from that, at least until he talked with both Jareid and Tygra.

 

“You’d be well enough to go tomorrow morning. It’d be wise for you to avoid the prince and his mate. Jareid has always been rather explosive and doesn’t react well to perceived threats against his family.”

 

Cheetara sneered at him derisively.

 

“’Explosive’ is an understatement. That cat is dangerous! I don’t understand why you let him close to the kits!”

 

“Jareid would never harm the kits. He mostly ignores the younger ones, as they are no real threat to him.”

 

“Yeah, well he didn’t ignore me. I’m not an adult, and he just attacked me!”

 

“Well, to be frank, your age ceased to matter the moment you put Tygra’s pregnancy at risk.”

 

“It was an accident! Does your prince not know the concept of something happening without anyone being at fault? I was completely ignorant of the situation!”

 

“Jareid knows. Is only… look, the prince’s mind does not work like everybody else’s. The difference between an accident and a planned act just stops to matter when he’s really angry. And he was furious when he realized that his mate could have miscarriage. You technically became the equivalent of a male dominant challenging him for his mate, and he acted in accord with that mental image. It’s really quite a miracle that he didn’t go after you immediately. Believe it or not, he was much calmer when he attacked you. The sole fact that you’re still alive proves it. I think Tygra did something to make him wait and get out of the rage he was in.”

 

Cheetara was baffled. She took a couple of moments to process what Bengali was telling her, and then worry and anger crept into her face.

 

“What could Tygra have done? If that beast hurt him…”

 

“Jareid would never attack his pregnant mate! He’s irrational when he’s feral, but he doesn’t hurt Tygra. They most likely discussed things, and an entire day together helped to diffuse some tension.”

 

Cheetara gritted her teeth. She didn’t believe Ben. What she had heard and witnessed of the jaguar prince had made her believe that he was using violence against Tygra. There was no other way for the Thunderian prince to have caved to the jaguar’s wishes. Ben sighed in dejection.

 

“Look, I know that Jareid didn’t react in any acceptable way, and what he did was uncalled for. But he released his anger, and now he’d be more centred and willing to reason. For the moment he feels that he dealt with the danger that your presence here represents. He’ll leave you alone if you keep your distance from Tygra.”

 

Cheetara glared at him. How could he suggest that she let herself be intimidated in such a way?

 

“No.”

 

“Please, listen…”

 

“No! I’m not abandoning Tygra to your prince’s mercy! Do you really don’t care what could happen to him? He could get severely hurt!”

 

Ben almost groaned. It was a bit late to be worrying about that.

 

“He’s not going to be hurt.”

 

“The hell he’s not! You yourself have told me how volatile your prince is! How he just hits before asking! And how it is better to stay clear of him when he’s angry! And he seems to be angry the majority of the time! That, or in high sexual arousal, if the gossip of your court is worth considering. I really don’t want to think about the implications of such a mixture. Tygra is not safe with your prince! He should be away from him and protected until we can take him home!”

 

“Calm down!” Ben put his hands on the girl’s shoulders and forced her to lean back against the pillows. She had gotten excited and was about to fall from the bed. “Listen. I understand that you’re upset, and you wish to have your prince back, but Tygra is in no danger from Jareid. He’s his mate, and Jareid has proven that he can control himself enough to not hurt his mate, no matter how angry he gets. They are going to make a family. The mating is sealed and Tygra won’t be going anywhere.”

 

The cleric breathed deeply and her eyes widened. She had forgotten the supposed pregnancy. If Tygra did have any cubs with the jaguar prince, there’d be no way to break the matting. She looked at the shaman almost pleadingly.

 

“He’s staying here, Cheetara.”

 

“He can still renounce the cub… or lose it…”

 

“Not gonna happen. And I believe that you know that Tygra would never abandon his own cubs.”

 

“There must be a way!”

 

“There isn’t! He is not going back.”

 

Cheetara growled and clenched her fists. She glared at the shaman with sudden fury.

 

“How could you?! He’s not even reached majority! He should have never set foot in here! You’re not even a jaguar! How could you force him to stay here? You lot took his home away from him!”

 

“It was his choice.”

 

Cheetara froze and looked at the white tiger incredulously.

 

“Tygra chose to remain here, Cheetara. He knew that he could have refused the pregnancy. He’s perfectly aware of the mating ritual’s conditions, and he knows that he could have returned to Thundera. He just decided to follow through with the ritual and stay here.”

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

“Cheetara…”

 

“Tygra would never have renounced his home! He loves Thundera, and he loves his father! He’d never have accepted to stay away! You, or someone here, did something to him! Somehow you forced him to accept the mating!”

 

“No one…!” Ben started, but then interrupted himself, and sighed. He could not in good conscience proclaim that Tygra had not been forced to accept Jareid as a mate. “Is it so hard to just believe that he wanted a family of his own?”

 

“He’s sixteen! Your king forced the mating! I believe him capable to force the pregnancy too!”

 

“Even if that were true, there’s nothing anyone can do to negate it! Tygra is staying.”

 

“There’s still something that can be done. Tygra can still lose the cub.”

 

“Would you really do it? He’s not going to cooperate.”

 

“Your prince?”

 

“Tygra.”

 

Cheetara’s eyes hardened. What lies had they fed to the tiger prince to get him into an unnatural pregnancy? It couldn’t be allowed! She had to do something! Ben continued talking, taking advantage of her stupor.

 

“Tygra decided to try the pregnancy. He’s at thirteen weeks now. His instinct already established an emotional bond. He and Jareid are closer because of the pregnancy. He’s not going to terminate it willingly, and it would cause him a great deal of pain to accidentally lose it.

So, there’s no way in hell I’d let you try anything.”

 

“I thought you cared for him.”

 

“I do. I know how much he misses his home, and I also know how much he struggled to accept his new status in life. But my first duty is to my king and my prince. I helped Tygra to find a purpose here, to find a place to fit into, and a family. I won’t help you to take him away.”

 

“Thundera is his home!”

 

“His family is here now.”

 

“What kind of family could he have with an abusive mate?”

 

“Jareid cares for him.”

 

Cheetara scoffed at that. Ben didn’t give her a chance to reply.

 

“I know that he doesn’t look like it. He may not fit the image of a loving mate, but he is. In his own way, he is. He cares about Tygra. Hell, Tygra may be the only cat, besides Yeana, that Jareid worries about! He’s not going to let you do anything to take Tygra away.”

 

“Yeah, he kind of made his point clear already.”

 

There still should be a way. If only she could speak with Tygra, talk some sense into him, make him remember. She had thought that she could convince Bengali to help her. He was a tiger too, and he surely felt closer to Tygra than to the jaguars. But now she knew that the shaman would not help her, not with what she had been ordered to do at least. The white tiger cared for Tygra, as they both were kin. He’d protect the young tiger, but he wouldn’t help him escape Jareid’s clutches. She bit her lower lip, and huffed in frustration. Ben sighed again and tried to remain calm.

 

“He’s only trying to protect his family. He doesn’t go about it in a diplomatic way, but it’s still less damage than he usually does.” He pointed at Cheetara’s battered, but not incapacitated, body. The cheetah crossed her arms in dejection.

 

“So, I can expect him to attack every time he sees me?”

 

“No. Not if he doesn’t see you as a threat anymore. Besides, Tygra would be upset if he does that, and Jareid doesn’t like to make Tygra upset. You should be safe as long as you don’t interfere in the mating. Focus on Lion-O, and leave Tygra be.”

 

Cheetara shook her head. She needed to protect Tygra too. She had been sent to make sure that both princes would return home at the end of the year. She couldn’t lose Tygra!

 

“I can’t just leave Tygra! He’s been abused! I’m sure of it! I have to check on him and help him with this… mess of a situation! I don’t trust your prince to have Tygra’s best interests at heart, especially now that I’ve experienced his violent personality. Someone like that can’t control his actions. He’d lash out at the most simple of things! You can’t convince me that he’s not like that with Tygra! A violent character doesn’t discriminate.”

 

Ben groaned inwardly. Only Tygra was going to be able to convince the cheetah that he was fine. Jareid certainly would only make things worse. Ben could see that Cheetara was honestly worried and wanted to fix things so that Tygra could be free to return to his home, and be safe. She was going to be a major problem and it needed to be stopped before a tragedy occurred.

 

“I know it’s hard to believe, but that’s the way things are. Look, just try to rest for now, and think about what I told you. I assure you that Tygra is in no danger. We are taking good care of him. Jareid is very obnoxious, but he cares about Tygra and is not going to let him go. Your prince is well protected and he’s going to have his own family soon. You care about him and know him well enough. Just think about the pain it’d cause him to lose a cub. It’s something that he’s not likely to forgive if it comes to happen.”

 

Cheetara nodded curtly and Ben left her with a tired sigh. She lied down on the bed and started to think. Her body ached dully, but none of her many injuries were life-threatening. She was, surprisingly, fine. She still was going to find the way to return the beating to the sender. Jareid needed a good lesson!

 

She was very worried about Tygra. If Jareid was capable to attack and beat her in retaliation for an accident, she didn’t want to imagine what he was capable of when he was angry because his mate did something he didn’t approve. Tygra was a male. What little restraint Jareid had shown with her, would be non-existent against Tygra. He could even be taking out his frustrations with the tiger, and no one would stop him. Cheetara needed to see the Thunderian prince. It looked like a hopeless situation, but she wasn’t going to give up.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was on his puff in his study, blissfully unaware of the drama that had transpired. He had a book of names in his hands and was looking at it with a frown of concentration.

 

Saixa had left him about two minutes ago, and Jareid wouldn’t come back until dinner, so he had time to walk around a bit and put himself at day with his studies. However, he had seen the book of names on Jareid’s desk when he had crossed the jaguar’s study and had been curious. Jareid had been taking care of everything concerning their cubs, and Tygra thought it was time for him to show an interest too. They were also his cubs, and he wasn’t going to let Jareid name them something horrible or spoilt them rotten with too many toys and other things. They were supposed to do the raising together and Tygra had procrastinated long enough.

 

So, he sat on his comfortable puff and skimmed through the book. There were some highlighted names and a few with notes about past family members that had been named alike. Jareid had taken a real interest in this. There even were some names that had been slashed over and made illegible. Tygra rolled his eyes in exasperation at his mate, and started to read the highlighted names and their meaning. He made a face at a particular one and stuck his tongue out. No way in hell he was going to name one of his cubs anything related to a god of fertility! He procured himself a pen, and following his mate’s example, he obliterated the offending name. He was going to have a talk with Jareid about appropriate names for their cubs!

 

He started to read the next highlighted name when the bell of the door rang and he called for whoever it was to enter. Lion-O walked in with Snarf at his side. The pet mewled happily at him and hopped to his lap, obstructing his view of the book. Tygra smiled and scratched Snarf behind the ears. Then he looked at his brother and lost his smile. Lion-O perched himself on Tygra’s desk and started to bit his lip in nervousness. He looked very upset.

 

“What’s the matter Lion-O?” Tygra asked with a frown.

 

The small lion looked anxiously at his brother and pressed his lips tightly together.

 

“I want to… ask some things, Tygra. And I want you to be honest with me.”

 

Tygra put the book aside and looked again at his brother. Surely the kit was still shaken for his nearly miscarriage and he only needed a bit of reassurance.

 

“Sure. Is this about the cubs?”

 

“Nnn… Not exactly…” Lion-O bit his lips again and tried to put order in his thoughts, unsure of how to start.

 

“Then, what is it?”

 

“Well… you see, Cheetara has been talking with me and… she is pointing out some things and making me notice certain… details…”

 

He trailed off and looked shyly at his brother. Tygra’s eyes had widened slightly, he was now starting to worry.

 

“Details? Like what, Lion-O?”

 

The lion kit fidgeted on the desk. He was unsure on how to pose the question that Cheetara had planted in his mind. He didn’t want to say the word ‘abuse’. Saying it aloud would make it real, and Lion-O didn’t want it to be real.

 

“Well, many small things really, and I… I suppose I was just not thinking much about them, you looked fine, and I…”

 

“Lion-O, what did Cheetara tell you?”

 

The lion made an effort to look up at his brother. His strong, obnoxious and exasperatingly perfect older brother, who had mellowed down considerably since they both had left Thundera.

 

“Ty… has he ever… Does he… hit you?”

 

Tygra narrowed his eyes in confusion. He didn’t need to ask who “he” was, but he didn’t understand Lion-O’s question.

 

“Hit me? What do you mean? You know that Jareid and I train together once in a while. He likes to test my skills.”

 

_‘And bugger me afterwards.’_ He thought, but he wasn’t going to tell that to his distressed younger brother. Lion-O shook his head.

 

“No… I mean, in anger. To punish you, or to force you to do something…” He lowered his eyes and Tygra suddenly understood.

 

“No… Lion-O, come here.” Tygra moved a bit on the puff, so his brother could sit at his side. Snarf protested, but once the two siblings were comfortable he curled down on Tygra’s lap and continued purring. Tygra put an arm around his brother’s shoulders and pulled him close.

 

“Now, tell me. What is upsetting you?”

 

Lion-O sniffed, and hugged his brother, feeling very guilty at the same time.

 

“This! Well, it’s part of it… You… You were never like this when we were home! You never said kind words to me any more, you were ruthless, and it was clear that you were not accepting the secondary role that father meant for you. You didn’t want to be below me, you wanted to be on top. And you could have, you were in fact on top. You had character and strength. It was clear that you were developing into a dominant male, and everyone kept telling me that I had to do better or I would never be able to state my claim to the throne clearly. I ignored most of that talk and I really hadn’t paid it much mind since now it’s a mot point. But Cheetara came, and she’s very worried about you, and she said some things…”

 

He sniffed again, and pressed himself against his brother. Tygra bit his lower lip, a sinking feeling dropping on his stomach. He had managed to keep Lion-O mostly oblivious of his own problems. He hadn’t wanted his brother’s pity, and he didn’t need his worry. He had resented Lion-O once, resented the fact that his brother got to be the “alpha” male for no good reason other than his mere existence. But his little brother had been the only company he had had during his ordeal. None of what had happened had been Lion-O’s fault, and he shouldn’t be worrying about his big brother’s problems. And it wasn’t fair that someone had brought the issue to him now that it was pointless, and no one could do anything to fix the situation anymore. Besides, Tygra felt that whatever happened between Jareid and he was no one’s business. He and his mate could take care of themselves quite fine… now.

 

Tygra sighed. He could have appreciated, and even welcomed, Cheetara’s intervention once, but not anymore.

 

“Lion-O, listen. Cheetara is seeing things different. She wasn’t here.”

 

“But she’s right! A year is just too soon for some things to change. She pointed that out and I realized that you didn’t change in one year. You changed in one month! One month, Tygra! It took Jareid one month to make you behave like a submissive, when I know very well that you aren’t one! So, something must have happened. Jareid did something to you, and it was enough to break you, and I don’t know what it was, and it might still be happening and…!”

 

“Hey, hey, calm down Lion-O! Nothing is happening. Well, the cubs are happening, but nothing else, I swear.”

 

Tygra cleaned some tears from the young lion’s face and combed the red mane with his fingers to soothe the kit. He was starting to get angry on Lion-O’s behalf. Cheetara had no right to make his brother miserable. Lion-O had been perfectly happy to get his wish of no returning to Thundera just yet. The young lion snuggled against his brother’s side and sniffed quietly.

 

“He hurt you.” He said accusingly. Tygra sighed in resignation.

 

“None of that matters now.”

 

“It does if he’s still doing it! Cheetara says that he can still be doing something!”

 

“He’s not… Look, it’s not like Cheetara thinks.”

 

“Then, how is it?”

 

Tygra wanted to curse. He supposed that Lion-O had been bound to get curious sooner or later on his own anyway. Still, there had been no need to alert him to certain power dynamics that he had been mostly ignoring.

 

“He did hurt you, Tygra.”

 

“Yes, but… Look, it was mostly my fault.”

 

Lion-O looked incredulously at his brother’s declaration, and Tygra supposed he’d better explain.

 

“I was stubborn, and all those other things you just said, also I was scared and angry and very hurt. I wasn’t coping with the change at all. I didn’t want a mate, and I didn’t like the fact that I had been ‘offered’ so easily. It was too hard to realize that I was ‘dispensable’, not as important to father as you are, after all.”

 

Lion-O felt a shiver ran down his spine. He wanted to tell Tygra that it was not true, but his brother wouldn’t let him interrupt.

 

“I was not at my best, and Jareid didn’t help at all. He is so overwhelming, and he was everywhere, always making me remember that I was far from home now. I couldn’t deal with him on top of everything else, and somehow he managed to take priority. I tried to push him away, but he didn’t let me. I didn’t want to be close to him, to be a sub, but I couldn’t get away, Jareid just forced his presence on me. I was desperate, I didn’t want him touching me, I didn’t want to acknowledge him as a mate, much less as a dominant mate. So, I cracked, rather quickly, and… I challenged him.”

 

Lion-O technically bolted upright and looked at his brother in disbelief.

 

“W-what? You did _what_? Tygra! That would have been like me challenging Grune for the general’s post! He… he killed Bali! That…” He breathed, and then sudden realization hit him. “That was when you had your arms all bandaged! No wonder you were so… so subdued! And then you…”

 

He bit his lip. _That_ was what had broken his brother. No constant beating or threatening like Cheetara imagined. It had been only one hit. One fight for dominance to show the young tiger his place. Considering the way Jareid was used to settle differences, Lion-O was partial to say that his brother had escaped the ordeal without much injury. It could not be considered abuse. At least not the way Cheetara thought.

 

Tygra sighed and smiled ruefully.

 

“I was a bit crazy. It was the only time Jareid has truly hurt me. I was then very depressed for a time, and you can say that I was forced to acknowledge my new role.”

 

He hugged Lion-O again and the little lion groaned. He was so stupid! He should have seen it!

 

“You have nothing to feel guilty about, Lion-O. I tried to shield you as much as I could. I didn’t want you to worry.”

 

“I could have done something…”

 

“Like what? Challenge Jareid yourself? There’s nothing you could have done Lion-O. I was the one who had to adapt. It took some struggling, but I did it.”

 

Lion-O was still unhappy. He was just realizing how much his brother had been forced to give up. His hand rested on Tygra’s stomach and he bit his lips again.

 

“You didn’t have to accept the cubs on top of everything else.”

 

Tygra put his hand over his brother’s smaller one and sighed.

 

“I had to, Lion-O. This… is the only family I’d be able to form.”

 

“No. We, you, could have gone back to Thundera, and forget any of this ever happened!”

 

“Things don’t work that way, Lion-O. I’m never going to be the same. How could I simply forget everything that has happened? Besides, I don’t think I could have chosen another mate. I don’t think I’d ever be able to tolerate another touching me like Jareid does.”

 

“Not even Cheetara?”

 

Tygra sighed in resignation and leaned just a bit on his brother’s side.

 

“No. Not even her.”

 

“Ty…”

 

“I’m fine Lion-O. Really. Jareid is not the ideal mate, but… we have learned to cope with each other. In his own way he’s very caring.”

 

Lion-O accepted Tygra’s reassurances. There was nothing he could do anyway, save remain at the tiger’s side. He would do it, and help his sibling to be happy the way he had been forced to choose.

 

He still shed a few more tears for his brother’s loss.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Lion-O left sometime later, just before Jareid was due to pick up Tygra for dinner. Tygra stood in front of the big window and stared outside while he waited for his mate. It was already dark outside, but he could still distinguish the outline of trees at the border of the castle’s grounds. He longed to go out and have a run in the forest or a good swim in the river. Physical activity had always helped him to relax, and now that he found himself severely restrained in that aspect he was starting to feel really frustrated.

 

He gave a sigh and leaned his forehead on the glass. His right hand started to rub circles on his belly. He was worried about the things that Cheetara was talking with his brother. Lion-O would tell her the truth, but it was unlikely that she’d listen to the young kit. He had to speak with her and explain his part of the story. He wanted her to understand his point of view, she was his friend, and he’d like to have her on his side when he confronted Claudus. He knew that his father was going to be less than pleased with him, and if he couldn’t convince Cheetara that accepting to consolidate the mating ritual had been the best option for him, he’d have no chance of convincing Claudus.

 

He started to think what to say to Jareid for the jaguar to let him talk to Cheetara alone. Jareid was going to be difficult, much more because the cleric was a perceived threat. Tygra hoped that his mate cared enough for him to understand that his friend was important, and that he’d like to have her close again.

 

The door opened, and almost instantly Jareid’s arms and essence were around him. Tygra took a deep breath to reassure himself and leaned back on his mate’s body. Jareid’s lips pulled at his ear playfully and licked teasingly. Tygra smiled. He wanted to close his eyes and forget the world. It seemed like his mate’s presence was registering as very relaxing in his mind at the moment.

 

“How is my family?”

 

Jareid’s hands covered his, and Tygra wished that his cubs were already big enough to feel them. At the moment he could only imagine two little balls of fur basking in warmth and comfort inside him.

 

“We’re fine. Though I wish they’d grow up faster. It’s boring without the training.”

 

“Just three more months, my tiger. I want you all safe. I’m not going to risk you getting hurt anymore. One scare is more than enough for a lifetime.”

 

Tygra felt oddly touched and a very bad cat at the same time. He wasn’t focused on his cubs’ safety 100 percent of the time. He only assumed that his sons were perfectly fine as long as he behaved and followed Ben’s instructions. The idea of extreme caution hadn’t really hit his brain until his encounter with Cheetara.

 

Jareid kissed his temple, and Tygra turned around to better hug his mate. Then, he noticed the servant that was finishing preparing the sitting area for dinner.

 

“Are we dinning here?” He asked when the servant had vanished.

 

“Yes, Ben says that he wants to talk to us and will be dinning with us. Personally, I think that he’s going to try to convince me to do something that I don’t want to do.”

 

Tygra wondered if Bengali had also noticed the convenience to have a real chat with Cheetara. The Shaman was sensible and Tygra could use his advice.

 

“Do you think it’ll have something to do with Cheetara?”

 

Jareid tensed and his chest vibrated with a low growl. Tygra sighed, but wasn’t really surprised at his mate’s reaction.

 

“Why do you mention her?” Jareid asked harshly. Tygra gave a couple steps away from the jaguar and shrugged.

 

“Well, I was thinking about her, and Lion-O was here just a few moments ago. He’s worried and he told me some things that got me thinking that I really should go talk to her… Jareid?”

 

Tygra looked in some alarm at his mate, who continued growling and was visibly getting angrier.

 

“Jareid? I only want to talk to her and make sure that…”

 

“She’s perfectly fine! I assure you that there was no lasting damage, and it had to be done!”

 

Tygra blinked in utter confusion. It took his brain some seconds to process the words he had listened.

 

“You… did something… to her? Jareid?!”

 

Tygra’s voice raised in growing panic. The jaguar took him by the arms and showed his teeth. Tygra started to shiver.

 

“I only warned her off! I didn’t kill her!”

 

“You ‘only’ warned her? Why? It was an accident, Jareid! You…! What the hell did you do? Where’s Cheetara?”

 

Tygra wriggled free of Jareid’s hands, taking advantage of the fact that his mate had relaxed his grip on him. Jareid’s narrowed eyes were starting to look suspicious.

 

“I did what I had to do! Look, it’s not my fault that the kits were there too…”

 

“Whaaat?!!”

 

Tygra’s eyes widened in utter and complete horror and Jareid froze. In the tense silence that followed, Tygra’s mind imagined a dozen murdering scenarios that could have happened. No wonder that Lion-O had been so anxious! Jareid on his part was starting to realize his mistake.

 

“Tygra…”

 

“What. Did. You. Do. Jareid?”

 

The jaguar growled and pulled at his mane in frustration. He was a fool! He should have kept his mouth shut like Bengali was always telling him!

 

Tygra was growing more scared by the second. He was about to bolt to the shamans’ wing, where someone should know something, when the door slide open and Ben entered the room.

 

“I’m here. Sorry…” He stopped and looked at the very distressed young tiger, who was trembling in fear. Jareid growled in utter frustration and started to pace agitatedly. “What’s going on?”

 

Bengali walked towards Tygra to try to calm him down. The orange tiger was not supposed to get upset! He was surprised when Tygra clung to him almost desperately.

 

“Ben, what did Jareid do? Where’s Cheetara?”

 

The shaman was side-tracked for a second, and then he turned his head to glare murderously at the jaguar.

 

“Jareid! You were not supposed to tell him!”

 

Jareid banged his forehead on the wall. Tygra winced at the loud thud, and his worry grew exponentially. The jaguar groaned in anger at himself.

 

“I know! I’m just starting to realize that I should really ask questions first!”

 

“You just realized?! Gezz, Jareid!”

 

Bengali really wanted to shoot his prince. Tygra insisted again to be told about Cheetara, and Ben sat him down on the couch. Tygra had to calm down quickly before the adrenaline started to cause damage.

 

“Easy Tygra. Cheetara is fine, I swear. There was no severe damage. She’s going to rest tonight, and tomorrow she’s going to carry on with her usual activities, as always.”

 

“And the kits?”

 

“What kits?” Bengali asked in confusion.

 

“Jareid said that the kits were there!”

 

Ben put a hand over his face and groaned.

 

“Ok. I’m going to explain everything. I don’t want more misunderstandings.”

 

Ben explained the event as Lion-O, Cheetara, and trainer Bal-xa had told it had happened, as well as Cheetara’s current state of health, stressing again that she had not suffered any major injuries. At the end, Tygra didn’t feel exactly calmer, nor reassured in the last. He wanted to scream at his mate, but a dull ache in his stomach made him gasp and rub his belly instead.

 

Jareid stopped his pacing and sat at Tygra’s other side, surrounding the tiger’s hips with his arm.

 

“Are you ok?”

 

“Of course I’m not! Why did you do that?! Jareid, we talked this morning! She had no idea what she was doing! You can’t just go and beat someone for an accident! … ow…”

 

“Ty!”

 

“I’m fine!”

 

Bengali somehow produced a pill and with some magic managed to prevent any problem. Tygra breathed deeply and forced himself to put his anger aside. Jareid’s left hand was on his belly, rubbing circles and trying to soothe him. The tiger leaned his head on his mate’s shoulder and sighed.

 

“You can’t be doing these things, Jareid. You promised that you were going to get your temper under control.”

 

“Tygra, I needed to do something. I’m not letting her take you away! Please don’t think about it anymore.”

 

“I can’t just forget it! Besides, are you aware that now she’s only going to try harder?”

 

Bengali nodded at Tygra’s comment and Jareid looked at both of them like they were mad.

 

“I told her to stay away and I know that I gave her enough reason to obey. Why would she want to risk another beating?”

 

“Because,” answered Bengali, “she’s not a dominant male challenging you for your mate. She’s a worried female that now thinks that her friend is in more danger than she’d originally thought.”

 

Jareid gaped in befuddlement at both tigers. Tygra sighed again, realizing that Jareid was not empathetic enough to predict a female’s reaction to certain acts of violence.

 

“How could she possibly get to that conclusion?”

 

“Well, you beat her for an accident. What’s stopping you from hitting Tygra every time he doesn’t abide to your wishes?”

 

Jareid was even more baffled.

 

“He’s my mate! I don’t need to beat him! He knows I’m the dominant, and that I care for him!”

 

“We know that, Jareid. But she’s an outsider, and is working under the assumption that you’re a violent cat who reacts in only one way to every inconvenience. Which is not too far from the truth, let me tell you. That little show you gave in the courtyard has just convinced her that her prince needs rescuing.”

 

Jareid growled and hugged Tygra a little too tightly. The young tiger groaned, but endured his mate’s show of anxiousness. He didn’t want to reject Jareid right away. He only wanted his mate to be able to have a better judgment.

 

“I need to talk to her.”

 

“You’re not going anywhere near her!”

 

“Jareid, we need to placate her. She won’t back off unless Tygra makes clear that he’s perfectly fine. She can cause a load of unnecessary problems.”

 

“Return her to Thundera then! I don’t want her close to Tygra!”

 

“And then what? We deal with the next cleric that Claudus sends? One who might be set upon the path of recovering Tygra whatever the cost and wouldn’t be inclined to listen to Tygra’s reasons? We are trying to _avoid_ conflict here, Jareid! Cheetara is Tygra’s friend. She’s going to take his side, she only needs to be certain of Tygra’s wishes.”

 

Jareid growled. He didn’t like the idea. He didn’t want a potential challenger for his mate anywhere near said mate and his cubs.

 

“I can just…”

 

“You’re not going to kill anyone! Jareid, the entire point of me staying in Ix-Maal is that violence between both our cities stop! Please, I just need to convince her that I want to stay.”

 

“Ben and Lion-O can do that!”

 

“No, they can’t. She won’t listen. She’d assume that they’re covering for you, even Lion-O. It has to be me or she won’t believe anything.”

 

Jareid roared. He should have killed the cheetah when he could.

 

“No.”

 

“Please, Jareid…”

 

“I don’t want you close to her! I don’t want you to listen to whatever she wants to say! I won’t allow it!”

 

Tygra started to growl. Ben didn’t like the way things were going. Tygra needed calm, damn it! Was it that difficult a concept to grasp?

 

“Don’t be unreasonable, Jareid! We are trying to make things easier here. Tygra needs a relaxed environment, not to be worrying about unnecessary problems!”

 

“Then he doesn’t need to even think about the cheetah! Just keep her away from these rooms, or I will do it!”

 

Tygra snapped then. He felt that Jareid was treating him like a cub. Was he not trustworthy enough to be allowed to talk with a friend?

 

“Look, I know I am your prisoner, that I belong to you! You don’t have to rub it every time I dare to ask a favour from you!”

 

He tried to stand and get away from Jareid, but the jaguar growled and grabbed his hips and torso, keeping him firmly on the couch. He growled in unhappiness and tried to wriggle out of his mate’s hands, succeeding only in turning around, away from the jaguar’s face. Jareid moved a bit and one hand was suddenly on Tygra’s lower stomach. That made Tygra stop his wriggling and sat still and tense. His lips were pressed in a thin line and he crossed his arms. The claws on his left hand were suddenly out and he imbedded them in his right arm, just below the elbow.

 

Bengali’s eyes narrowed. He stopped himself from bolting forwards and extract Tygra from Jareid’s arms. He was not going to help the situation if he intervened between them at that moment. Jareid had to solve this on his own.

 

Jareid’s other hand grabbed Tygra’s left wrist and put enough pressure to force the tiger to retract his claws. He bit the young tiger on the neck, making him gasp and relax minutely as instinct took hold and recognized his dominant. Tygra breathed deeply and forced his anger and frustration away. His cubs. He had to think about his cubs. The pill and Ben’s boost of energy had stabilized his womb, but he couldn’t risk any damage to his innocent cubs.

 

Jareid sensed that his mate was calmer and he pulled the young tiger to sit on his lap. He was still growling, and he held Tygra close to his own body. He didn’t want to let go. He needed to protect his family. The cheetah was a threat! He couldn’t allow her to get to his tiger! His chest was still vibrating with his growl even as he tried to suppress it.

 

After some moments, Tygra seemed to compose himself enough to start talking again.

 

“I know what I am. And I know why I’m here. I chose to accept it and to renounce to the possibility of leaving. I’m carrying our cubs. Why don’t you trust me?”

 

Jareid closed his eyes and made a supreme effort to put his anger aside and think. He needed to be coherent. No one was going to ruin the precarious relationship he had built with his mate.

 

“I don’t trust _her_! I don’t want you alone with her, Tygra. You don’t need even to see her.”

 

“I just want to speak with my friend. I know my reasons to do what I’m doing. Please, I do need her to understand too.”

 

Jareid bit his lip in utter frustration. He realized that it was important for Tygra to talk with the cheetah, though he couldn’t phantom why. He knew he should find the way to reach a compromise, but he didn’t want to. The point was, he also knew that he was going to lose Tygra’s tentative trust in him if he denied his mate this favour. At their side, Bengali finally decided to intervene.

 

“He doesn’t have to be alone when he speaks with her. I can be there. With the chameleon suit she won’t realize I’m present.”

 

Jareid glared at his friend, mentally damming him to hell and back. He gritted his teeth as he saw the expectant expression on Tygra’s face. His mate will obey him, but he would also be deeply resentful if Jareid forbid him to try to make peace with the cleric. Jareid growled in anger, but at the end he caved. He was not going to jeopardize his new family over the cursed cheetah.

 

Tygra finally relaxed, and promised that he was not going to let her try anything that might injure the cubs. After Jareid made Bengali ultimately responsible of the ‘talk’s’ outcome, the matter was settled. Ben coaxed Tygra to eat something light for dinner, and they planned how to approach the cheetah.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra sighed and looked around, wondering if the garden where they had held the reception for the mating ceremony was a good place to meet Cheetara. Then he shook his head in annoyance at himself. Cheetara hadn’t been there, and she wouldn’t relate the garden to anything. It was as good a place as any other.

 

It had been difficult to get Jareid to fully agree with their plan. The jaguar was really unhappy with the entire idea, and his bad mood was patently obvious to the rest of the world. Tygra hoped that his mate could control his fury. He had spent a very tense two days and he wanted it over.

 

He leaned on a tree and started to rub circles on his belly. All this stress couldn’t be good for the cubs. He had just barely surpassed the thirteen weeks, nothing could be allowed to go wrong.

 

He sighed and looked to the left, to a patch of grass surrounding a fountain, where he knew Bengali was. Jareid had wanted to be there too, but no one had believed for a second that he’d be able to stand still and not intervene. Ben had in fact proposed that the meeting was held on the day that Jareid had to be with the city guard, checking their defences and strategies. That way there’d be no danger of interruption.

 

Tygra closed his eyes and sighed. Jareid was angry with both tigers and was barely talking to them. Tygra didn’t like it, but he didn’t want to press the issue. He didn’t want Jareid to lose it and start yelling and hitting walls again. Sometimes he wondered where all that anger had come from. Jareid was so extreme in his reactions, it couldn’t be natural.

 

Soft steps distracted him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw Cheetara a few steps away from him. She was cautiously smiling at him, and he returned the gesture more openly.

 

“Hello, my prince.”

 

“Chee.”

 

Tygra nodded at her and she gave two steps forward. Her eyes focused on the bandage just below his elbow and they narrowed. Tygra lifted an eyebrow in question.

 

“Did he do that to you?” She said, pointing to the bandage.

 

Tygra lowered his eyes and groaned. He had forgotten his “injury.” Bengali had been mightily pissed that Tygra’s claws had managed to pierce skin. He had bitched about it for hours. Tygra suspected that the shaman had put the bandage in spite. The minuscule claw marks really didn’t need it.

 

“No, it was myself. And it’s nothing, really. Ben was just exaggerating.”

 

Cheetara didn’t look convinced. Tygra debated mentally for a moment if he should explain how exactly he had injured himself, but he doubted it would do any good.

 

“Look, it’s not important. I wanted to talk about more pressing matters.”

 

He scanned her quickly. She didn’t look hurt, but she was wearing a high collared tunic, and there were some fading bruises in her arms. Cheetara on her part looked at Tygra’s midsection with some apprehension, and inhaled his friend’s scent, realizing for the first time what exactly he smelled like.

 

“It’s true then? You are with cub?” She asked, still in bafflement over the entire concept. Tygra gave her half a smirk.

 

“Yes. I was mind-blown when they informed me that it was actually possible.”

 

Cheetara shook her head and sighed in vexation.

 

“I can’t understand why would you accept something like that, Tygra. It’s unnatural! Males are not made to carry cubs, that’s not the way of nature! This is going to make it harder for you to return home!”

 

“Chee, I’m not going back home. I knew it when I accepted this. The mating ritual is permanent, and the treaty explicitly demands that Jareid’s mate resides with him.”

 

“Why did you do it then? What could they possibly threaten you with? Was it Lion-O?”

 

Tygra blinked in confusion at her last question.

 

“Lion-O? What do you mean?”

 

“Did they threaten Lion-O’s life to force you to agree to this?”

 

Tygra actually gaped.

 

“What? No! They didn’t even mention Lion-O.”

 

“Then, what happened, Tygra? Because I refuse to believe that you’d renounce to your chance to return home without any form of coercion! Just tell me what they are holding over your head and we’ll find a way out of it!”

 

“No! Listen Chee, there’s no way out of it, not now that I’m actually pregnant. These cubs are Jareid’s and mine. I guarantee it.”

 

For a moment Cheetara looked like she wanted to argue that point, but then she frowned. Her brain catching up on a piece of information new to her.

 

“Cubs? As in more than one?”

 

Tygra looked sheepish and nodded.

 

“Two actually. Everybody was really surprised.”

 

Cheetara pressed her lips, and then shook her head.

 

“It doesn’t really matter. We can still do something…”

 

“No, Cheetara…”

 

“If you say how they forced you Tygra, we can still gain some leverage. Even better, if you were to lose the cubs…”

 

“Cheetara, no! I refuse to get rid of my cubs! They’re mine too!”

 

The cheetah groaned and rubbed her temples in frustration.

 

“Fine. We can find a way to keep them. Jaga would know what to do…”

 

“Chee…”

 

Tygra approached her and put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and he lost himself for a moment in her beautiful pale red eyes. Then, he sighed and talked softly.

 

“Look, I appreciate you trying to help. But there’s nothing to do Cheetara. I’m staying here.”

 

“But, why? It doesn’t make sense.”

 

He pressed his lips and looked away. Cheetara grabbed his arm and glared intently at him.

 

“It’s not so complicated, actually. I’m staying because Jareid wants me to.”

 

Cheetara snarled and crossed her arms.

 

“Pray tell how he is managing to retain you, Tygra.”

 

“Well.” Tygra sighed and shrugged in a helpless gesture. “Let’s just say that he’s Baal’s heir. His word is technically law here, and he’s obsessed with me. He’s not going to allow anyone to take his mate from him, he has been very clear on that from the beginning.”

 

“He may say that, but the ritual is absolute. If you hadn’t agreed to… get pregnant… you’d no longer be his mate. He would have had to let you go! The jaguars are honour-bound to respect the treaty.”

 

“He was not going to do it.”

 

Cheetara was stunned.

 

“He told you that?”

 

“Yes, he did. He told me that there was no way he’d let me go. That he will raise another war just to keep me here. And I know him well enough now, to be certain that he will do it.”

 

“That’s… That’s preposterous! Tygra, we need to tell your father!”

 

“To what purpose Cheetara? We can’t engage in another war with the jaguars. There’d be no point! Thundera does not have the war power they have! We don’t even have the Sword of Omens anymore. Not that it was any good the last time!”

 

Cheetara closed her fists and growled. Tygra rubbed her arm, trying to soothe her.

 

“Thundera can’t win. I refuse to let more people die because of another pointless war!”

 

“And does Baal know of his son’s words, or is he behind them?”

 

“I don’t think he knows, surely he suspects, but it doesn’t really matter, what Jareid wants, Jareid gets. That’s how things are around here. And if Jareid wants to stop me from returning home, Baal is going to grant his wish, even at the price of war.”

 

“But that’s… that’s not right! Tygra, you can’t just remain at this cat’s mercy! There has to be a way!”

 

“Maybe there is, but I’m not willing to risk it. Besides, Jareid’s threats are not the only reason I decided to accept the pregnancy. I wanted to try, you know?”

 

Cheetara blinked at him, not understanding.

 

“Try? Try what, Tygra?”

 

“This.” He put his hand over his belly and sighed. “I wanted a family. My family, Chee.”

 

“But, with him? Tygra, you’d have all the time in the world to form a family.”

 

“No. Not anymore Chee, not after all that has happened. Listen, my instinct has long recognized Jareid as my mate. I won’t be able to change that. I’m not a dominant anymore, and out of here I… I’m not mate material anymore Chee. I wouldn’t handle it very well.”

 

Cheetara narrowed her eyes in anger.

 

“So, he did something to you. How could you want to stay with an abusive cat like him?”

 

“He hasn’t hurt me, not like you think. It’s hard to explain, Chee. I felt very alone for a time, and he… He’s very insistent. It’s strange, you know? I think he needs me.”

 

“He needs you? That’s… Tygra, he’s manipulating you!”

 

“A little, yes, I know that. But I still think he needs me. In a way, I need him too, Chee. I can’t explain what happened. I’m just… not willing to leave him.”

 

Cheetara was baffled.

 

“You can’t be serious. Tygra, he’s taking advantage of you! He’s threatening your home, and your integrity!”

 

“I know! I know he’s a terrible cat, but I also know that he can be a very caring mate. Chee, it was very difficult for me to accept the idea of being his mate. I think I even forced myself to care for him. I didn’t know I had a way to go back, and I tried to find the way to survive here. If you think about it, maybe it was for the best. If I go back to Thundera, and Jareid ends up making good of his threat, this entire year and a half would have been for nothing.”

 

Cheetara stared at him for long moments. At the end she had to accept that Tygra’s decision was final.

 

“But he’s so violent. And I keep hearing the most preposterous things about him!”

 

“Yeah, he has quite the personality.” Tygra smiled at her and tried to look cocky. She shook her head in sadness.

 

“He threatened to send me back to Thundera in little pieces, you know?”

 

Tygra lowered his eyes in embarrassment for his mate’s actions.

 

“I’m truly sorry about that. It was my fault. I should have stopped you, and I wasn’t fast enough. I’m really sorry.”

 

“You aren’t to blame for the jaguar’s actions Tygra.”

 

“I am in this case. I knew that he was going to react badly. I wasn’t careful enough, and I should have told you the situation a lot earlier.”

 

“And what if he had attacked you? What if he attacks your cubs in a rage?”

 

“He won’t. He tries to control himself when he’s angry with me, and he finds another outlet. He is in fact more in control of his anger lately.”

 

“He didn’t look in control to me.”

 

“You say that because you have never seen him actually murderous. And he doesn’t usually pick fights with the females. It’s just that he knows that you’re quite the catch, and a good prospect for a mate, so he sees you as competition.”

 

Cheetara gaped incredulously at him.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me! Is he mad?”

 

“A little, yeah. Chee, maybe I’m a bit crazy too. Can I tell you something? I think that somehow he uses me as his connection with reality.”

 

Cheetara lifted an eyebrow in incredulity at him. Tygra pulled at his mane nervously.

 

“I know it’s crazy. Probably I’m thinking too much of myself. But the point is that I can’t leave him. I grew too attached to him. Maybe it’s me the one that needs him to need me. Does that make any sense?”

 

Cheetara had an unfathomable look in her face. She looked intently at her friend for some moments, and then she embraced him tenderly.

 

“Maybe it does. I’ll support you, Tygra. Whatever you do, I’ll help you.”

 

“Thanks Chee.” Said Tygra, returning the embrace. He felt accomplished in some level.

 

“So… twins?”

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid stomped his way to his rooms. He refused to pay ears to the malicious titbits of gossip, which certain members of the court had insisted on telling him as soon as he had arrived to the palace. However, the errant words were getting to him, and he was getting angrier. He needed to get to his rooms, and if Tygra wasn’t there, safe and sound, he was going to kill Ben.

 

He debated for a moment if he should search Tygra’s study first, but decided that his mate would want to appease him, and he’d be in their main room. He was pleasantly surprised when he opened the first door, and Tygra was there in the sitting room, perusing a book.

 

The tiger lifted his head when he heard the jaguar entering the room and smiled. Jareid was in front of him in an instant, and grabbed him by the arms, and then he pulled him up and started sniffing him. Tygra sighed. Good thing he had showered right after returning from his meeting with Cheetara. He didn’t want Jareid to freak out because he could smell her on him.

 

He let Jareid sniff him all he wanted. When the jaguar finally started to lick his neck, Tygra moaned and leaned on his mate, who embraced him fiercely.

 

“Everything’s fine Jareid. I’m still in one piece.”

 

“I don’t want her hands on you.”

 

“She’s not going to steal me away. I promise.”

 

Jareid bit Tygra’s neck, just to reaffirm his claim on him, and then licked the mark some more.

 

“Mine.” He growled possessively.

 

Tygra groaned and tried to keep calm, as Jareid finally lifted him and took him to the bedroom, where he could explore and sniff every inch of his tiger to his heart’s content.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Cheetara stared at the communicator in her hands, not daring yet to use it. How was she going to explain to the king that his son was lost, and there was nothing they could do about it?

 

She was certain that it had been the threat of another war what had forced Tygra to accept the jaguar’s demands. The prince would not sacrifice innocent cats for a tantrum. Besides, Thundera really had no hope to win against the jaguars, not yet at least. Maybe if both cities were at par in technology, Claudus would risk a war to recover his sons, but as things were, Tygra had no real choice but to remain at his mate’s side.

 

Cheetara sighed. It was an unfair fate for the prince. She still believed that Jareid abused his young mate, and what was worse, Tygra seemed to have gotten used to it. The cheetah could see that Jareid was clearly manipulating Tygra, and the young tiger had fallen into it. Isolated as he was, the Thunderian prince had surely been easy prey for the older cat. Cheetara growled. She’d like to show that abusive bastard his place, but she was no match for the jaguar heir. She needed to get stronger, and some day she’d show the egotistical cat a lesson. For now, however, she’d have to accept that there was nothing to do. She will remain at her princes’ side and give them what little support she could. Maybe with time she’d find a way to get her friend out of the mess he was in.

 

She pressed her lips while she considered the com once more. She was unsure of what she should tell Jaga. The high cleric was going to insist on Tygra’s pregnancy being terminated. If he accepted that such a thing was possible in the first place.

 

The young apprentice groaned. She had no idea of what Jaga was going to think, or what would be his reaction. Maybe it would be best if no one in Thundera knew about Tygra’s pregnancy just yet. Such news could potentially cause all hell to get loose.

 

Deciding at last that she would just make a general report, omitting any mention of male pregnancies, she finally started the communication. King Claudus was not going to be pleased when he realized his son’s plight, but that could wait some months. Maybe they’d get lucky and find a way to lessen the impact.

 


	19. Dissertations of a Troubled Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

 

 

 

Bengali prepared the scanner for Mai’s ultrasound. Her cub had grown enough for they to see if it was a male or a female. As she had used a non-prepared sample to do the insemination, the sex of the cub was yet unknown. Ben personally was praying for it to be a female. It’d be much easier for Jareid to accept a female cub that had no chance at all to challenge Tygra’s cubs’ right to the throne.

 

The white tiger was also counting on the genetic treatment that they had been subtly providing to make the cub have some prominent tiger’s characteristics. Technically, Mai’s cub had now three parents.

 

It had been the most tricky and dangerous treatment that Ben had done. Xiar had said that it was a piece of cake, compared to what they had had to do to get Queen Xilara to carry a pregnancy to term, when Jareid had been borne. But after a few weeks, even Xiar had been complaining. The fact was that Mai was as far from the Queen as possible. She was in no way the living embodiment of a perfect patient. The jaguaress had given them all the grief she possibly could. She, of course, didn’t know about the genetic treatment they were performing. She believed they were doing daily monitoring because Jareid wanted a day to day report on his cub. She was unaware that every night Sarai put some herbs in her tea to make her sleep soundly and not wake up when they moved her to the clinic. The High Shaman even performed some magic to keep her asleep while they went on with the very invasive treatment. Bengali had been at edge and sweating every time they had to radiate or insert the needle to poke and alter the cells of the foetus.

 

Mai, even when she was in the dark about the treatment, was always suspicious that something was going on, and had demanded to see Jareid constantly. The jaguar prince had had to visit once or twice to appease her, but never alone like she wanted. Jareid was very unhappy each time he was required to make an appearance in Mai’s room. It was definitely testing his already non-existent control. The day before his birthday, he had finally exploded and had screamed at the jaguaress to cut the shit already and do whatever the bloody shamans wanted. He had also made clear that he was going to beat her to death if the shamans reported anything wrong with the cub she was carrying. That had effectively subdued her for a couple of weeks, until that very day that they were performing her fourth scan. She was demanding Jareid to be present. He had to see his heir and confirm by himself that his son was healthy and in good shape. She was sure that she was carrying a male. The future heir of the clan.

 

The shamans were at the end of their collective rope. Mai’s tantrums and insistence to be treated as Jareid’s mate were wearing them thin. Many had actually been grateful that their prince was already mated to Tygra, and even more grateful that he didn’t want a consort. Between Jareid and Mai, the jaguars’ city would surely fall to ruins in no time! Some of the shamans, especially the females, felt for the cub. They knew that Jareid had not wanted this particular cub, and they believed that Mai had been allowed to carry it to term only as a safety measure, in case Tygra’s cubs wouldn’t make it. Some of the female shamans feared that Jareid would just dispose of the cub in Mai’s body as soon as Tygra’s cubs were born, seeing as a ‘replacement’ would be no longer needed.

 

Bengali sighed while he tested the scanner a final time. The court in its entirety believed Mai’s cub to be a ‘backup plan.’ Only two trusted shamans besides himself and Xiar knew the truth. For everyone else, Mai had tried to force herself into a consort’s post carrying Jareid and Tygra’s cub, – hence the need of a genetic procedure, in addition to Jareid’s own wishes – and had royally fucked up, stealing semen samples instead of prepared embryos and going behind the High Shaman’s back. The speculations about how the cub would turn out were starting to make quite a commotion in the court.

 

Ben raised his head as he heard Mai arguing with Xiar that she was not taking the scanner without Jareid present. Xiar looked ready to strangle her. Sarai was close by, observing with some amusement. It was rare for the High Shaman to lose his patience.

 

Finally, the door slid open and Jareid entered, accompanied as always by Yeana and the Queen. The prince growled at Mai when she tried to cling to his neck. He was tense and angry that he had been told into being there. Bengali couldn’t help but compare the jaguar’s present behaviour with the previous day’s.

 

The previous day had been Tygra’s turn to take the scan to check the twins’ development. They were already completely formed, and looked like tiny pear-sized entities. They only needed to grow and for their inner organs to finish developing enough to sustain them. Groups of cells were still differentiating, but the critical stage was already done with. Now they will gain size a bit faster, and Tygra would really start showing at the end of the month. Jareid had been elated, and had even tolerated Cheetara’s presence, just to brag his sons in her face. Tygra had not been very pleased with his mate’s attitude towards the cheetah, but had preferred to keep peace and maintain Jareid occupied at his side.

 

But at the present day, Jareid was glaring and snapping at everything and everyone, especially Mai, and there was no Tygra to calm him down. Ben sighed, and coaxed Mai to lie down and let Sarai prepare her. Mai looked at Jareid questioningly and the prince growled at her to obey. He wanted this done as quickly as possible, so he could get the hell out of there. Mai looked cowed and started to follow the shamans’ instructions without arguing.

 

Finally, the image appeared on the screen and Ben gave a frustrated huff. The foetus apparently was developing adequately, but the angle didn’t allow them to see what they wanted, the legs were on the way. Yeana and Xilara were as mesmerized with this cub as they had been with Tygra’s twins. Jareid only grumped, frustrated that everyone was doing such a fuzz when he was still seeing only a blotch of blue. However, he needed to show some interest, so he fumbled for something to ask.

 

“Well? Male or female?”

 

“We can’t confirm.” Answered Xiar. “Little rascal is not letting us have a clear visual.”

 

Jareid scowled, wondering how anyone could possibly tell what exactly was in the screen, and which part was what. He didn’t pause to consider that he hadn’t had any problems to identify Tygra’s cubs in the ultrasound. He turned to Ben.

 

“You didn’t have that problem yesterday.”

 

“Yeah, well, we actually prepared the embryos that we implanted. So, we know that whatever Tygra is carrying is male.”

 

“This cub is male too!” Mai interjected hotly. “I’m sure of it! The heir can only be a male!”

 

Jareid growled dangerously at Mai, and Yeana hugged him. His little sister declared that it didn’t matter, and that the cub would be his anyway. Jareid wanted to scoff at that, but he was not going to contradict his little sister. He only nodded and asked for a picture of the ultrasound. Tygra had asked for it. His tiger thought that Jareid needed to be more involved with his third cub. The jaguar prince didn’t want to know anything about Mai’s cub, not until the day they dropped it on them, and he could actually see if the genetic treatment had been any good; but Tygra had insisted.

 

His tiger had taken a more active part in the preparations for their cubs. While Jareid was really happy about it, he didn’t like the fact that Tygra had realized that he had been preparing everything with only two cubs in mind. The tiger had proceeded to verbally chew off his mate, and making clear that they were going to treat the third cub the same as the other two, and that there would be no neglecting on Jareid’s part. The jaguar was very unhappy about that. He was supposed to devote his time and energy to Tygra’s cubs, not to spare it on something that shouldn’t exist anyway.

 

Nonetheless, Tygra had asked for him to try, and he wanted to see the ultrasound, so Jareid was going to bring him the picture. Seeing the prince’s request as a good sign, Xiar didn’t ask questions and took the photo. Mai wanted to be alone with Jareid and make plans for their future, but the prince was out of the door as soon as the required picture was on his hands. Mai was not important to him, and the jaguaress could very well start to realize it.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra looked around the big nursery and nodded, declaring it almost finished. He had finally inquired about it three weeks ago, and had not been pleased to find out that it was located two floors from his rooms. It was too far away. What was he going to do if his cubs needed him at night? The reassurances that he could hear them through a communicator, and that there would be a servant to bring them to him, did not appease him. He wanted his cubs close by until they were at least five years old.

 

They moved the nursery to what had used to be Jareid’s playroom, directly in front of their bedroom. Tygra took advantage of the movement to get rid of some toys and accessories completely inadequate for newborn cubs. He also took the chance to acquire another bassinet and a crib big enough for all three cubs. He wanted his twins to accept and bond with their younger sibling, and he figured that it would be easier if they got used to sleep together. Jareid wasn’t so fond of the idea, but he had relented when Tygra had, once again, demanded that they were going to treat all of their cubs the same.

 

Jareid was avoiding the subject, and Tygra was afraid that his mate would neglect or be abusive with the youngest cub. He had firmly decided that he was not going to stand for that. No cub under his care would be neglected, much less abused, even if it was not really his. He had been very angry when he had discovered that Jareid had not taken the third cub into consideration, and had settled to correct it. So, now he and Saixa were giving the final touches to the nursery, with a bit of input from Lion-O and Cheetara. All four of them were having a little chat while Tygra waited for Jareid to return from the Shamans’ wing.

 

The situation with Cheetara was still tense, but as long as Tygra was not left alone with her, Jareid bitched about her less. So long no other distasteful episodes had occurred, and Lion-O was the only one who found it amusing that Jareid was so jealous of Cheetara. Tygra was starting to wonder if he shouldn’t be more worried about Lion-O’s taking of the situation, but at the moment he was emotionally exhausted, and was letting the rest of the world to take care of itself.

 

Cheetara and Lion-O walked out of the nursery to head to Lion-O’s practice, just a minute before Jareid poked his head inside and grinned at his mate, happy to find the tiger only with Saixa. He came in and embraced the youngest feline in a bear hug. The jaguaress rolled her eyes, and made herself scarce when the prince glared, and growled at her.

 

Once alone, Jareid proceeded to suck and bit his mate’s neck. Tygra groaned, and sighed in exasperation.

 

“You didn’t have to chase Saixa away. We were talking.”

 

“You know I’d rather have you in our rooms, well away from everyone, and only for myself.”

 

“Jareeeeeid…”

 

Tygra whined and Jareid kissed him possessively. Since the problem with Cheetara, he was prone to do that more frequently and in plain sight of everyone, regardless of Tygra’s discomfort. The tiger sighed and just bear it as always. Jareid’s hands covered the still small bump in his midsection and rubbed lovingly.

 

“Just seven more weeks, my tiger. In less than two months our cubs will be ready to be born.”

 

Tygra grunted. He wished the pregnancy to be over, but was very worried at the same time.

 

“They are not going to be exactly ‘ready’. They are still going to be pretty much smaller than an average cub. And they’re two. Maybe I can try to wait a bit longer, it’s only a month…”

 

“No, Tygra. You’re not risking your health in this. You’re doing exactly what Ben says.”

 

“But…”

 

“Shtt.” Jareid kissed Tygra’s mouth tenderly and hugged him. “They’re going to be fine. They’re going to be born the same as every cub from a male pregnancy. The shamans know what to do, it’s a practice that has been done for years.”

 

“But they never had had two at the same time. What if something goes wrong?”

 

“Tygra.” Jareid moved him and put both hands at the sides of the tiger’s face, forcing his mate to look upwards to him. “Nothing is going to go wrong. I won’t allow it.”

 

“Jareid…” Tygra groaned in worry and frustration. Some times he wanted to kill Baal for having raised a son who believed himself capable to control everything under the sun. Jareid’s eyes glittered and hardened.

 

“I won’t allow it, Tygra.” He said more forcefully. Tygra closed his eyes, and sighed in defeat.

 

“Ok.”

 

He leaned again into Jareid’s embrace and let himself be hugged, and kissed once more. As illogical and absurd as Jareid’s claim was, Tygra couldn’t help but feel a little reassured by the force of it. But the worry didn’t go away. He couldn’t take the image of his little cubs out of his mind since the previous day. They had looked really, really tiny in the scanner’s monitor, and even when Bengali had assured him that they were going to grow very quickly on their final stage, they only had seven weeks to do so. Tygra worried that it wouldn’t be enough. He didn’t want his cubs to suffer because he wasn’t biologically able to carry them the entire seven months. As much as he wasn’t looking forwards to endure a very large belly, he’d prefer it over his cubs not having enough time to develop. Jareid pulled at his ear and kissed him a last time.

 

“Don’t fret over it. Our cubs are going to be fine. Just follow Ben’s instructions and there’d be no problems.”

 

Tygra sighed and Jareid ruffled his short mane. Then, the jaguar took out the picture of the ultrasound to distract his mate from his brooding mood.

 

“Look. You wanted me to bring this to you, here it is. The third cub. Although how anyone can know that there’s a cub in there I’d never know.”

 

Tygra elbowed his mate in the ribs, and snarled in warning at him. Then he took the picture and looked at the tiny form in it.

 

“It’s the same size as the twins. What is it?”

 

He felt relieved to see that Mai’s cub was as equally tiny as his own cubs. That reassured him that his sons were not getting behind in development. Jareid mussed on his head.

 

“The fuck I know. Xiar said that the cub wasn’t in the right position, and they couldn’t tell for sure if it’s a male or a female. Mai however is absolutely convinced that she’s having a male.”

 

Tygra scowled. They could have troubles if Mai had a male cub. She could decide to fight the right to keep him and even contest for the title of heir. Her cub was pure jaguar, and thus the council could decide that it was better suited to become the clan’s heir. Tygra didn’t know anything about the genetic treatment that the Shamans were carrying out for the third cub, so he was worried about what could happen when the rest of the court realized that Mai’s cub didn’t have any tiger’s genes in it.

 

_‘It’s always about the right lineage, isn’t it?’_

 

His own situation in Thundera came to mind, and a wave of resentment hit him unexpectedly. He closed his eyes and stubbornly shoved anger and bad feelings aside. It was a tiny cub who had no idea of the conflict the adults were causing around it. A tiny cub that was going to be his. He was going to do his best to avoid any preferences between his three cubs. He didn’t want them repeating his own story with Lion-O. He forced a smile and concentrated on the small figure.

 

“This should be in the album with the others.”

 

He disentangled from Jareid’s constricting arms, and went to a small bookcase with five shelves already full of children’s books. There was an album that Xilara had given them to keep photos, and mementos of their cubs. Tygra pulled out the album, and went to sit on a rocking chair in front of the window. Snarf, who had been napping on said chair, jumped to the back of the thing and stayed perched there, looking curiously behind Tygra’s head. Jareid spared a quick glance to the pet, and then nodded and focused on Tygra. The jaguar prince had been more amiable towards the small critter since it had attacked Cheetara in Tygra’s defence.

 

The tiger opened the album, which at the moment only had one photo of himself napping on his puff with Snarf beside him and a hand on his belly, and two ultrasound images of the twins. Tygra glared at the first picture, miffed that Jareid had snuck on him to take it, and looked lovingly at the other two. He put the image of the third cub immediately after. The album had stiff thick pages with a fine cover film that protected the pictures. Each page also had imbibed a microchip that allowed recording a short comment on the photo. Tygra touched the side of the page at a certain point and a tiny green light turned on, signalling he could start recording. He said a few words, explaining that this third cub was as much theirs as the other two, and they were equally excited and waiting for its arrival. There was no mention of Mai or why the cub was being carried by someone else. Tygra just wanted to make sure that this little cub could feel as desired as its siblings. Once he finished, he put his finger in the ‘pause’ position and looked expectantly at his mate.

 

“Do you want to record something?”

 

Jareid was looking at him with an indefinably expression. The jaguar prince approached his young mate and took the album from the tiger’s hands, putting it to the side. Then, he leaned down and kissed Tygra’s lips tenderly. After a few moments, he broke the kiss and straightened a little, smiling. Tygra blinked in confusion at his mate, and fumbled for what to say.

 

“Jareid…?”

 

“You’re a much better cat than I am, my tiger.”

 

Jareid’s hand caressed the back of Tygra’s head at the base, and leaned down again to rub his nose against his mate’s.

 

“Don’t ever leave, Tygra.”

 

He kissed the pliable lips again. Tygra returned the kiss hesitantly, not quite knowing what was crossing his mate’s mind, but accepting it nonetheless.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Cheetara had many questions that needed direct, honest answers. Unfortunately, no one seemed inclined to give them to her. Not even Lion-O. The cheetah had talked many times with Claudus’ heir, and had found that she was going to have to work harder to gain the teen’s trust; something she had made the mistake to take for granted.

 

She was analyzing the information she had up to the moment, and she didn’t like very much the picture it was suggesting. She had been ordered to deal with whatever problems were preventing Tygra from returning home, and she could see that she won’t have anyone’s cooperation to succeed in that particular endeavour. Not even Tygra’s.

 

She scowled. It was very hard to accept that Tygra was not looking forward to return home. The tiger had started to construct his own life, moulding it to resemble his mate’s wishes, and that was very unsettling.

 

Cheetara lied down on her bed. The room she had been provided with was comfortable and filled her needs quite nicely. It even had a bathroom adjourned. It was not the cell-like room that Yabin had described, nor it retched of black magic like her fellow cleric had indicated. Cheetara was now convinced that Yabin had given his personal twist to the facts when he had given his report to Jaga. The puma had told them that Baal had forced him to return without Lion-O, and that he had been forbidden to even see the young lion. Claudus had been angered, thinking that the jaguar king was using Lion-O to keep Tygra in line. They had even considered the possibility of Baal threatening to hurt Tygra if Lion-O didn’t go back to Ix-Maal, despite the agreement between the kingdoms.

 

That had been one of the first theories to abandon Cheetara’s mind shortly after arriving to the jaguars’ city. No threatening had been needed; it was clear as day that Lion-O simply loved the place. He was utterly fascinated with it. The constant interaction with technology had been like catnip for the young lion. In addition, here in Ix-Maal Lion-O was free of the constant pressure to live up to his father’s and the nobles’ expectations. He was not the heir; no one belittled him, or constantly compared him to his older brother. For the first time in his life, Lion-O could be whatever he wanted. It was patently obvious that he didn’t look forward to leave any time soon.

 

Tygra, on the other hand, was a different case. The tiger didn’t share his brother’s happiness, or the marvelled enthusiasm over technology. Nevertheless, he didn’t consider returning home as an option open to him either. He seemed determined to make Ix-Maal his home out of necessity, and not because he actually relished the idea. He was not particularly fond of his mate, or the situation that had landed him in a mating to begin with, but he wasn’t actively looking for a way out of his predicament. He was going with it passively, looking for a way to adjust to his new role rather than to get rid of it.

 

Cheetara had first suspected that Baal had indeed used Lion-O in some way to force Tygra to accept staying quietly, but then she had to disregard that notion. Baal would not have harmed Lion-O. He didn’t need to. The lion’s happiness was enough. Tygra would have done anything to keep his brother safe and unharmed, but he would do even more to see him happy. Cheetara knew that, despite the resentment and competition between them, Tygra really loved his little brother. No, Baal would not have threatened Lion-O. Jareid might have however, but Cheetara doubted that Tygra would be so compliant if that were the case. Besides, Lion-O wouldn’t be so accepting of Jareid and the mating in general if Tygra had been truly disgusted with it. Lion-O also loved his big brother.

 

The cheetah found herself in a conundrum. Neither one of the brothers was willing to do something to return to Thundera. Lion-O was perfectly happy with his newfound freedom, and Tygra felt that it was his duty to stay and comply with his mate’s wishes.

 

Cheetara was sure that Jareid’s threat of another war sat heavily on the tiger’s shoulders, and he couldn’t see a way out. The cleric thought that Jaga and Claudus would be able to convince Tygra that it was an empty threat. She at least was convinced that it was. Despite Jareid’s violent personality, he was not the king, and she had observed Baal enough to be sure that he would not lose time and precious resources in something that would not provide him some benefit. Retrieving Tygra and force him to stay in Ix-Maal would serve no real purpose from her point of view. Destroying Thundera would be irrelevant now that Baal already had the Sword of Omens. Cheetara was convinced that Baal would not indulge his son’s tantrum. He was a king, and he was going to put his kingdom’s real needs first. Tygra certainly wasn’t needed for the jaguar’s kingdom prosperity; that was simply laughable. Jareid would have to obey his father, and let Tygra go.

 

That left the pregnancy as the primary obstacle. If the twins didn’t exist, maybe Tygra would see reason, and realize that he still had the chance to return to his life. Cheetara made a worried frown, thinking about the twins. Tygra didn’t seem too enthusiastic about them to her. He certainly wasn’t going crazy like some pregnant females that she had seen, but then again, he was a male, and his situation was far from normal. He didn’t exactly exude happiness, but his gestures softened when he rubbed his belly. He was in equal parts frightened, astonished, and marvelled that he really, really was pregnant. He didn’t really know how to act, but he had clearly bonded with his unborn cubs, and cared deeply for them. It would be a very hard blow for him if he were to lose them.

 

Cheetara on her part was still trying to see the pregnancy as coldly as she could. Tygra would recover with time. He had a strong personality and he was a survivor. He would cope with the loss eventually.

 

But he wouldn’t be free.

 

The cleric bit her lip as she considered the new obstacle she had discovered. She was not blind, and she had realized that the nursery was not waiting for only two cubs. It had had, when it had been in its original location, but Tygra had made several changes when he had moved it, and now… Tygra was expecting it to house more than two cubs.

 

Cheetara had thought that maybe one of the courtesans would be asked to set her cub as playmate, but none of the nobles was pregnant or have cubs younger than five. She had gone around, listening and observing, and had come to the conclusion that there was a third cub. She had heard nothing about Mai, since her name had become taboo in the court, but she had listened comments and chats about the cubs. The shamans were very tight lipped, but the courtesans, especially the females, couldn’t stop speculating about the new royal cubs, in particular because they will be a mix of jaguar and tiger. Everyone was dying to see what they’d look like. Also, the courtesans often wondered aloud what would happen to the last cub.

 

Cheetara had first thought that they were referring to the cub that would be the second born. Some clans saw twins as an inconvenience when they were first born to the heads. Many noble families got rid of one twin to eliminate any possible disagreement over the right to lead the family. But the more she had listened, the more she had been convinced that the jaguars were talking about a different cub.

 

She had finally cornered Lion-O, trying to assess how much the lion knew about a possible consort. It had been something that she could have taken advantage of. The young heir had been very nervous, but had finally accepted that a jaguaress was carrying a cub. She was not a consort however, the cub was Jareid’s _and_ Tygra’s, same as the twins. She had been inseminated just in case that Tygra had problems with his own pregnancy, and the shamans were taking care of her.

 

Cheetara had been very upset, as she had realized that even if Tygra had a miscarriage, there would still be an heir. Tygra would not be as attached to this third cub as he was to the ones he was carrying, but that would not make it any less his. The mating rite was, either way, sealed.

 

She closed her eyes and sighed. It would be easier if Tygra had been willing to cooperate with her. But he had refused. There was nothing to do about that. She should accept it, but she couldn’t. As long as she was convinced that her friend could have a better life, she was going to follow Jaga’s orders. She was going to look for any thing that she could use. There would be no rock she wouldn’t lift, no possibility she wouldn’t explore. That way, if she failed, no one could say that she didn’t try hard enough.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The weeks passed by in relative calm, and soon Tygra’s pregnancy was at 24 weeks. He was bored out of his mind and snapping at everything and everyone. Jareid had glued himself to his mate’s side, much to said mate’s annoyance, and had been receiving the bulk of Tygra’s bad mood. He didn’t mind as long as he got to control his mate’s every step, and the tiger swore that he was going to disappear into the jungle as soon as he gave birth.

 

Ben teased him every time he complained, pointing out that Mai was having a great time ordering everyone around and feeling like a queen. Tygra growled at his friend for comparing him to that good-for-nothing female, and continued complaining for not being able to go out and resume his training. He was tired of reading and helping Jareid with paperwork. He wanted to run and fight, damnit! The light exercise that the Shamans had imposed him was not enough anymore. He needed to feel his muscles strained and exhausted. He needed fresh air at the least!

 

Jareid was trying to distract him, and they had gotten out to the gardens for a walk. It lasted just an hour. Tygra’s belly had actually grown bigger now, and the weight was starting to put pressure in the young cat’s back. It hurt, and made uncomfortable every movement. It only added to the tiger’s general unhappiness.

 

Jareid dragged his mate to sit under a forest oak, and proceeded to massage the tiger’s aching muscles. Tygra was grumpy and didn’t want to relax, but soon he was purring in Jareid’s hands. After a while, Jareid had his mate nested between his legs in a much better mood. He continued rubbing Tygra’s flanks, arms, and hips soothingly, even passing his hands over his mate’s distended belly. Tygra loved the feeling. He inclined his head to the side, exposing his neck, so Jareid could suck and kiss it all he liked.

 

“Mmm… Are you feeling better now?”

 

“A bit, yes. I want to be active again. I’m getting desperate.”

 

“Just two more weeks, my tiger.” He put his hands firmly over Tygra’s belly and pressed softly. “Two weeks and our cubs will be here in our arms.”

 

Tygra gasped when Jareid’s hands went under his tunic to better feel his large stomach. He wriggled a bit to get more comfortable and rested his head on his mate’s shoulder.

 

“I hate this tunics. I feel like I’m wearing a dress.” He complained. Jareid chuckled lightly.

 

“You’re still beautiful, no matter what you have on.”

 

One of his hands moved upwards and started teasing a nipple, while he sucked possessively at his mate’s neck. Tygra groaned and arched his back, or tried to. His belly didn’t allow him much movement.

 

“Jareid… we are in the garden, please…”

 

The jaguar’s other hand reached down and got into Tygra’s pants. The tiger gasped and grabbed his mate’s wrist, trying to stop him.

 

“Please…” His eyes turned worriedly towards the castle. Some of the balconies were pretty much in sight. “Someone could see us.”

 

“So? Let them see.”

 

Jareid manoeuvred Tygra’s body easily and in a moment he had the tiger lying on the ground. He hovered over his flustered mate and caressed his cheek lovingly.

 

“You’re mine, Tygra. Everyone knows it. Don’t worry about what others could think. You’re only with me now.”

 

He kissed him passionately, and then pulled down the tiger’s pants enough to have room for what he wanted to do. Tygra opened his thighs in reflex and moaned under his mate’s attentions. Jareid teased him to the point he was panting and begging more in no time. Then, the jaguar went down and sucked his mate’s length, engulfing it within his mouth. Tygra hissed and curled toes and fingers at the sensation. He swore that the pregnancy was making him more sensitive. It didn’t take much for him to reach orgasm. Jareid swallowed his entire load and sucked him dry. Then he fixed Tygra’s clothes again and went up to kiss the tiger’s mouth until they both were out of breath.

 

“So beautiful. All mine.”

 

Tygra moaned and let Jareid lift them both into a sitting position again. The jaguar rested his back on the forest oak and pulled Tygra on his lap. They both sat there contentedly for several minutes. Jareid was nuzzling his mate’s head and rubbing his belly with one hand, while Tygra purred softly.

 

Jareid was thinking about carrying his mate back inside, when a sharp movement under his hand elicited a gasp from the tiger. Tygra groaned and put a hand over Jareid’s one and breathed deeply. Jareid smirked.

 

“That was one powerful kick. We have two very healthy sons.”

 

Tygra glared at him. It was not the first time that the twins’ kicks got him out of a comfortable stupor. He had started to feel them moving a few days ago. At first it had been nothing more than a weird sensation in his stomach, but when the first kick had happened, he had been scared out of his mind. Bengali had had to practically swear to him that there was nothing wrong with his cubs, and that the weird feeling and some bumps in his belly were perfectly normal. Once Tygra had calmed down, he could enjoy the feeling of his twins moving within him. The joy had lasted until his internal organs had started to really resent the kicks and elbowing.

 

“I swear they are wrestling each other inside me. My kidneys are going to be in serious need of reconstruction once they’re out!”

 

Jareid kissed his mate’s forehead tenderly, as another kick made Tygra moan in discomfort.

 

“We should really get to agree on their names, you know?”

 

“None of them is going to be named Ix-chee.” Tygra said for the hundredth time. Jareid pouted playfully.

 

“Why not? It’s a very good name.”

 

“They are going to have enough on their plates already, just being your sons. Neither one needs the additional burden of being named after a Fertility God!”

 

“And our third cub?”

 

“I said no, Jareid!”

 

The jaguar prince chuckled and bit his mate’s ears playfully. Tygra growled and tried to wriggle around, but it was too much trouble, so he contented himself with pinching his mate’s forearm in retaliation. Jareid kissed his neck and jaw to mollify him. He wasn’t actually serious about the name, but he enjoyed getting Tygra all worked up over it.

 

While they were discussing names for their three cubs, someone was observing them from one of the balconies.

 

Cheetara scowled at the sight. She knew that Tygra was bored and in serious need of some action, and yet there he was, allowing his mate to constrict what little freedom he still had. If she had caught them while Jareid had been busy giving the tiger some pleasure, she’d be in a downright rage. She knew Tygra hated open displays of affection, especially when he was the recipient, and as boisterous as the tiger had been in Thundera, he had also been very discreet with his personal life.

 

She sighed in frustration and leaned on the balcony. Saixa came behind her, cooing at the two princes.

 

“Ooh, look at them! Aren’t they just sweet?”

 

“No matter how many times I see them like this. I still think he’s an abusive bastard.”

 

Cheetara looked resentfully at the pair resting in the garden under the big oak. At the moment any one could be tricked into believing that they were a loving couple, but she knew better.

 

Saixa huffed at her comment, but didn’t try to contradict her. Jareid _was_ an abusive bastard. Everyone knew that. What Cheetara hadn’t had time to realize yet, was that Jareid was less of an abusive bastard now that Tygra was with him. She was bound to realize it sooner or later, specially because that very fact was the reason why no one in Ix-Maal would stand for the tiger to be returned to Thundera. No one really cared if the prince was using his mate as a punching bag, or if he was, as the majority thought, treating him as a sex-slave, as long as he regained his senses and became an adequate ruler. That was why the problem with Mai had caused such an outrage.

 

“He gets very possessive, but I can assure you that he takes good care of his property.”

 

Cheetara glared at her.

 

“Tygra is not a thing!”

 

“Of course not, dear. He’s so much more. That is in fact the reason why Jareid is so attached to him. I think he’s fascinated with him. It was the same with Bengali. He just loves tigers.”

 

Cheetara huffed and crossed her arms. Below her, Jareid had both hands under Tygra’s tunic, and the tiger was flushing lightly in embarrassment. Her scowl hardened.

 

“I am surprised that he didn’t take a consort. With all the gossip around, and his reputation, I sincerely expected him to have at least a lover on the side.”

 

Saixa smiled. Cheetara was fishing for information, but the jaguaress knew that she could be completely frank and still give the cleric nothing she could use.

 

“Yeah, it was quite a surprise. He was a very _active_ cat, up until Tygra arrived. Now, he doesn’t have eyes for anyone else. He has been very faithful, and believe me, it’s not for lack of trying on his past lovers’ part. At first no one could really believe that he would refuse other sex-partners, but he did. It was a shock for everyone, but his father was really happy.”

 

“I can imagine he was.”

 

Cheetara looked at the jaguaress carefully. She was very pretty, and she had a great body. She was sporting the breasts that a lactating mother should have, and it only added to her figure. Cheetara had heard that some of Jareid’s past lovers had been very jealous of Tygra, and some still were, and they were just waiting for the moment the prince got tired of the young tiger to replace him in the royal bed. It must have been a shock for them that their prince preferred an outsider to share the future throne. A cat that wasn’t of the same clan, not even the same species. Surely there had been a lot of conflict that the king had had to hide, or eliminate.

 

“Saixa, why did you accept to be their nurse? Wouldn’t you have preferred to be the carrier? By the sound of it, you could have been without problems, and it would have been easier then to secure a place as a consort.”

 

“Oh, I wanted to, yes. But I like to be alive and have a good home much more.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean, that Jareid said no. Very clearly.”

 

Cheetara clenched her teeth. She had inquired around about the third cub, and had eventually learnt the version that had been told to the court. She sensed that there was something else, but she needed to meet the jaguaress in question to see what it was, and the shamans were guarding her fiercely. Cheetara didn’t even know her name. No one seemed to care what would happen to her once she gave birth, but everyone was certain that she was not going to be seen around anymore. Because the prince had been furious with her, and didn’t want to be bothered by her presence any longer.

 

“And everyone around here just do as Jareid says.” Cheetara remembered Tygra telling that to her. She hadn’t quite understood the depth of that statement then.

 

“Exactly. He’s the heir, after all.”

 

An heir who didn’t deserve to have her prince as mate.

 

“I’m surprised that there was no real conflict over your prince mating an outsider. I heard that some of you weren’t really happy with the king’s decision, but the majority just accepted it. Even the ones that were in discord with it are not saying anything. No one in the council opposed this truce. For a very closed clan that is… just surprising.”

 

“If you had met Jareid before the war, it wouldn’t be so astonishing.”

 

Cheetara shook her head at the cryptic words. It just didn’t make sense to her. It was too perfect.

 

“I don’t believe that just one jaguaress made an attempt to snatch your prince back. She didn’t fare well, but I would have thought that she would have been one of many, not _the_ only one.”

 

Saixa narrowed her eyes at the cheetah. There had been several attempts, but only two of them had been of any importance. Cheetara knew about Mai, as much as the rest of the castle’s inhabitants knew save for the name, but she didn’t know about the assassination attempt. The court’s gossip was almost a living thing, but the jaguars knew when to shut their mouths. No one wanted to end up like Bali or Mai.

 

“Well, if you consider those of us that walked into Jareid’s office, at one time or another, in different states of undress, you can say that we made several attempts.”

 

As expected, there was no surprise in the young cleric’s features. Those were attempts that everyone could gossip about and Cheetara was well aware of them.

 

“I know that many of you kept insinuating yourselves at him, even in front of Tygra, but apparently he refused everyone. What seems strange is that you left it at that, only insinuations. I mean, with his reputation, it would have been easy to bring out a cub on him, and I don’t mean it in the way that jaguaress did. One that _he_ would have fathered beforehand.”

 

Saixa smirked. The cheetah was fishing for the only thing that could rend the mating void now. Another cub. A direct descendant from one of the princes, born out of the mating before the couple’s own cubs.

 

“Well, considering that any one who would have tried that, would also have to prove it, it’d be very difficult to be taken seriously.”

 

“Prove it? Your prince had no qualms to lie with anyone that offered.”

 

“Bengali always prepared him a special beverage to ensure he didn’t sir any stray cubs. Besides, we have biotechnology here. It’s not difficult to know the paternity of a cub. A simple test and you’d be in serious trouble if you’re lying.” And so far only Mai had been foolish enough to try, and she had gone about it in the worst way possible.

 

Cheetara’s eyes widened. She had not considered technology to be an issue here. She scowled a minute later and huffed. She had hoped that she could find something, a loophole of sorts that she could use, but Baal had apparently planed things very well.

 

“You know, I don’t like your technology at all.” She almost pouted. Saixa smiled in amusement.

 

“Of course you don’t. Why don’t you just let things go their own way? They are happy together.”

 

Cheetara looked at the couple again. They did look good together, but not exactly happy. Oh, Jareid was, she could see it even from a distance, but Tygra… She looked sadly at her friend. Tygra looked content and comfortable in Jareid’s arms. But not happy. Not like the jaguar was at least. He had resigned to his fate and was making the best of it.

 

The young cleric bit her lips. She couldn’t let go. This was not what Tygra was meant to be. He was supposed to help Lion-O in his ruling. Both of them were supposed to lead the cats and their kingdom to greatness. How could Tygra abandon his duty to his brother and his home accepting to be the plaything of an enemy?

 

Cheetara shook her head and breathed. She was wrong in that point. Tygra had done his duty. Thundera would be ashes now if he had refused to go with the jaguars. The tiger had protected his brother in the only way he could. Cheetara could just not stomach the fact that his friend had been given off in such a way, and that they had taken advantage of him.

 

A yelp from the garden made her tense. She looked down in alert to see that Jareid had picked Tygra up and was carrying him, bride-style, to the castle. Tygra was visibly protesting being carried, but was not doing any effort to be put down.

 

Cheetara growled under her breath and clenched her fists. Could Tygra not see that they were taming him?

 

Saixa glanced at her and narrowed her eyes.

 

“Don’t.” She said sharply. Cheetara turned to glare at her.

 

“What?”

 

“I know that face, dear. You’re jealous. And it’s not going to help you with anything.”

 

Cheetara was speechless for a moment.

 

“I-I’m not jealous. I’m outraged! He shouldn’t be treating Tygra like that!”

 

“Like what, sweet? Like a dominant taking care of his pregnant mate?”

 

Cheetara crossed her arms. The jaguaress wouldn’t understand. Saixa smiled again.

 

“Look, you can call it whatever you want. I’m very much aware that Tygra is a male, and that he was not raised to be a sub in any way. But none of that negates the fact that he _is_ pregnant, and he needs taken care of.”

 

The cheetah bit her lips in frustration. Tygra was in a position in which he really couldn’t fight Jareid in any way. But that was not really what was bothering her, she realized. It was the fact that Tygra looked so content about it. Like everything was ok. He had accepted it, and she couldn’t.

 

“I should go look for Lion-O. His lesson should be finished now.”

 

She turned around and got inside the castle. Saixa looked at her suspiciously for a moment, but didn’t stop her. She didn’t think that the cheetah would be stupid enough to go to confront Jareid. She surely was going to brood while following her young charge.

 

Cheetara was indeed trying to put order in her emotions. The situation was too much at the moment to deal with. She also had the Thundera’s council meeting in two days to worry about. She was supposed to go with the jaguar’s representative to it, and take Lion-O with her. The lion heir was refusing to go, saying that he had to keep an eye on his brother. She honestly didn’t want to go either. She didn’t want to confront both Jaga and Claudus about the princes. What was the king going to say? He was going to be furious.

 

She sighed and thought about the last weeks. She had wanted to talk with Tygra again, but Jareid had always been at his side lately, like a guard dog. The jaguar prince had effectively isolated his mate. The tiger had no friends among the jaguars, and as far as Cheetara could tell, only Bengali went to talk with him. Saixa and Lion-O were there too, but Jareid chased them away quickly. It was clear that the jaguar didn’t tolerate anyone around his mate. And Tygra never said anything. He never protested, or even expressed any discomfort at being treated like a prisoner.

 

The cleric bit one nail worriedly. There was no avoiding a confrontation any longer. The king had to know what was happening. It’d be worse if the year ended and Tygra appeared, with three cubs, informing his father that he was not coming back.

 

She shook her head in frustration and continued her search for her charge. Then, she was going to prepare what to say in the meeting. One thing was certain though; she _was going to_ take Lion-O with her. There was no way that she was confronting the Thunderian king on her own.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra walked around his room in worry and a bit of frustration. His ankles and lower back ached, but he was tired of lying down, he hurt if he sat for too long, and he hurt if he was standing too. There was no comfortable position he could be in anymore. Jareid was watching him from the door to his study, frowning in concern at his mate’s behaviour. The tiger had been anxious the entire day since his little brother went with the cheetah to report to Thundera. The jaguar prince was hoping that the problematic cleric wouldn’t return. He knew that Lion-O would find the way to sneak back if he needed to, so he wasn’t worried about the young lion, but he suspected that Tygra was despairing about what the cheetah would be telling his father.

 

“Would you stop? You’re worrying yourself sick, and it’s no use anyway.”

 

Tygra glared at him, and continued passing. After two more circuits of the room, he felt a sharp pain on the base of his back, just where the tail’s bones were supposed to start. He groaned and put a hand back, stretching a bit. He looked at his puff longingly. It no longer felt nice to sink in it. His back needed more support.

 

Jareid finally approached him and dragged him to lie down on the couch. Tygra lied on his side, his head supported on a pillow and Jareid sitting beside him. The jaguar put one hand on his mate’s back and started massaging, forcing the strained muscles to relax. Tygra moaned and then sighed in relief. Jareid smiled at him.

 

“You look gorgeous, you know.” Jareid teased.

 

Tygra gave an absent minded growl, and then rubbed his belly. His twins had resented his anxiousness and were kicking more than normal.

 

“Yeah, you better appreciate it while it lasts.”

 

“It will last every day of my life.”

 

Tygra glared suspiciously at his mate, who only smiled. Then, the tiger sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to argue.

 

“In a way, I’m happy that we are having three cubs in one shot. Because I’m never, ever, doing this again! Not ever!”

 

Jareid chuckled and leaned down to kiss Tygra on the cheek. His tiger was just lovely cute when he was pouting.

 

Bengali interrupted them, arriving with dinner. Tygra scowled worriedly at the tray of food, realizing that it was dark outside, and the representatives hadn’t returned from Thundera. Ben arranged everything in the centre table and looked at the younger tiger.

 

“So, how are the two bundles of joy this fine evening?”

 

“Active.” Said Tygra, pouting again. Jareid chuckled.

 

“I think they don’t like that you’re worried, my tiger.”

 

Tygra stuck his tongue out at him. Bengali sighed.

 

“You shouldn’t be worrying, Tygra. Everything is going to be fine in Thundera.”

 

“Yeah, well. I don’t think father is going to take the news very well. Aren’t they taking a lot of time in returning?”

 

“The pilot just called. They’re already on their way back, they should be here shortly.”

 

Tygra’s eyes looked pleadingly at him and Jareid arched an eyebrow. Bengali smirked at them.

 

“All of them are returning, cheetah included.”

 

Tygra sighed and smiled in relief. Then chuckled at Jareid’s pouting face.

 

“It’s all right Jareid. I won’t let the nasty cheetah hurt you, I promise.”

 

Jareid looked baffled for a second, and then grabbed his mate’s left ear and pulled at it. Tygra just laughed at his affronted expression.

 

“Ow! Careful with the pregnant male here!”

 

Ben chuckled as Jareid growled at his mate to not be joking in that way. Then the jaguar prince helped Tygra to sit up in order to eat. The tiger was visibly more relaxed, and didn’t complaint too much as Jareid insisted on serving his plate.

 

The three cats had a quiet dinner, but after that, Jareid had to convince Tygra to go to sleep without waiting for his brother. The ship would arrive late, and the jaguar didn’t want his mate tiring himself needlessly. At the end, Bengali promised that he’d wake Tygra up if anything went wrong with Lion-O, and that he’d bring the lion to his brother first thing in the morning. Tygra was not very happy, but he was outnumbered and he had to yield. He said his goodnights to Bengali and allowed his mate to take him to the bed, grumbling the entire way about how it was going to be impossible to sleep.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Cheetara looked pensively at the flask she had in her hands. Claudus had not been pleased with the news, but still, this… It was the only way to recover Tygra, now that there was a third cub and Cheetara had no idea how to find the female that carried it.

 

_‘Just three drops, and the cubs will be stillborn.’_

 

A stillborn cub was considered a really bad omen. Bad enough to break any ritual or promise, or worse, kill the female that had borne it.

 

She couldn’t do what Jaga had told her. It was too risky. She had tried to tell them, but Claudus wouldn’t listen.

 

_‘What if they do kill him?’_

_‘They won’t. He’s not part of their family. They’d return the bad omen back where it came from.’_

 

Jaga had sounded so sure. Cheetara was not. Baal might react as expected of any ruler, but Jareid…

 

No matter how much she had insisted on Jareid’s unpredictability. Claudus’ image of the jaguar prince would not change. He simply had not interacted with the jaguar, ever. He had not the slightness idea of what Baal’s heir was capable of.

 

The girl trembled. She thought about Tygra and the way he spoke about his cubs. The light in his eyes that appeared every time he felt them moving, despite his complaints. He loved them. It was hard, but she had to accept that simple reality. There was no mother that didn’t love her cubs. The fact that the mother was a male was of no consequence at all. Cheetara had been prepared to handle a deeply hurt Tygra, as she had been expecting to be forced to try for the miscarriage one more time. She also had been convinced that she would not succeed. She’d only make Jareid kill her, and endanger Tygra in the process. The twins would or would not survive, and it won’t make a difference in the long run. She had not been prepared for her new orders. A miscarriage was one thing, but a stillborn cub…

 

It will destroy Tygra.

 

Cheetara wondered how long it would take the shamans to discover her. Would it be too late then?

 

She didn’t want to hurt her friend. She wanted him back, but she was not willing to break him in such a terrible way to get him. She had wanted to refuse Jaga’s orders, but she had made a promise when she had joined the clerics. She had given her life to the crown’s service, and she had to obey her king.

 

She closed her eyes sorrowfully. The king had been very clear in his orders. Claudus wanted his sons back. The king was so lost in his anger and sorrow, that he did not realize that his order would cost him too much.

 


	20. Cubs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  

 

 

_“But father, technology is not evil! You can’t say that plumbing is a bad thing. Having running water in the bathroom is great! And electricity! Torches and oil lamps are by far more dangerous than electrical light!”_

_“Lion-O, you have to understand.” Said Jaga. “People didn’t have a good first contact with technology. They are afraid of the destruction it can do. It’d be sometime before the Thunderians start to appreciate its advantages.”_

_“But you can start with the castle. I’m sure Baal wouldn’t mind if we ask for an engineer to come and see…”_

_“Absolutely not, Lion-O!” Claudus roared. “I don’t want Baal having any more control than he already has on our lives! The only reason he’s not recognized as the Lord of the Thundercats yet is because he has not even tried to master the Sword of Omens. As long as it remains without a true master, it’s possible to recover it, and that is what you should be worrying about! I hope you have been paying more attention to the classes that Cheetara is giving you now. Once Thundera is back to its glory, and we have recovered the Sword, then you’d be able to pay more attention to your hobby. The people would be more accepting then of the changes you want to introduce.”_

_“B-but dad, how are we going to recover the Sword if we can’t defeat the jaguars? If we want to have the slightest chance of going against Baal and win, we have to be on equal footing with him. And we are not going to achieve anything if we are not willing to learn how to handle their best weapon!”_

 

Lion-O walked the halls of Ix-Maal’s palace on his way to his brother’s rooms. He grew more frustrated each time he repeated his conversation with Jaga and Claudus in his head. He had been too disappointed in his visit. He just couldn’t understand Thundera’s continued lack of technology. He had hoped that at least the palace would have taken advantage of the discovery, but apparently everyone was just scared. Even Claudus was only using the communicator and didn’t want to try anything else. The clerics were making up tales of demonic magic imbibed in the gadgets that the jaguars used, and the nobles would not allow anything that looked remotely technologic into their lairs.

 

The young lion gritted his teeth. He hated the clerics! He hated the bloody superstitious Thunderians, and he…! Didn’t like his father very much at the moment.

 

He stopped at the door of Tygra and Jareid’s rooms and sighed sadly. At his side, Snarf mewled questioningly at him, and Lion-O gave a half-hearted smile to the pet. He had been close to convincing his father of the necessity of technology. Claudus had had to at least recognize the military advantages of tech. But then, the adults had had their meeting, and Lion-O had once again not been invited. It had angered him. He had spent the day in a bad mood, complaining loudly about the idiocy of it all. He was almost fourteen! What was the point of his father drilling into him how important it was for him to study politics, if he wasn’t allowed to go and see them into play, or take part of them!

 

The servants had paid him no mind, and Cheetara had tried to soothe him, telling him that his father only wanted to recover them, and shield them from harm, but it didn’t sound right. To Lion-O it looked too much like his father simply didn’t trust him enough to let him attend an important meeting. He had mentioned bitterly that they would have let Tygra in, and Cheetara had let escape that Tygra had more experience and a better understanding of politics. Lion-O had resented those words. It would ever be the same. As soon as he stepped foot in Thundera, he was back to being compared to his brother. It was as if no one in his home was capable to see him as his own cat.

 

The meeting had not lasted too long. The jaguars had been ready to return to the jungle just after lunch. Unfortunately, Claudus had asked for more time to have a private conference with Cheetara. Lion-O hadn’t been allowed into it either, much to the female cleric’s chagrin. The young lion had been even more upset, and had waited impatiently for the private talk to end so they could return to Ix-Maal.

 

But when the lion king had reappeared, Lion-O had been suddenly grateful that he had not been invited to their little chat. He could clearly see that his father was furious. Lion-O had taken a look at the king’s face, then to Cheetara and Jaga’s. He had known then that Cheetara had told them about Tygra and the cubs. Kaleb, the jaguar first councillor, had known too, and had received the lion king’s outraged demands with stoicism.

 

Lion-O sighed and contemplated the door before him. He was mad with Cheetara. She didn’t have to tell them about the cubs. He had known that his father would react badly to the news, but ‘badly’ didn’t even start to cover it. He closed his eyes and recalled what had happened.

 

Claudus had been convinced that Tygra had been seriously hurt and abused. The king believed that his son had been forced into some dangerous experiment and had demanded him back. Baal had evidently trespassed the bounds of the treaty. In Claudus’ eyes, the jaguar had not had any right to force Tygra to become some kind of freak of nature, inflicting who knew what kind of torture on the youth.

 

Kaleb had not tried to correct the lion’s misguided beliefs. He had known instinctively that it would be hopeless. He had contented himself with reminding the king that he had renounced to his right to try and review the treaty. He had by consequence renounced to any right over Tygra. He couldn’t demand anything from Baal regarding his adopted son. Claudus had been mad enough to threaten the jaguar with going into Ix-Maal and retrieve Tygra himself, by force if necessary. At that point, Jaga had seen fit to intervene, and between him and Lynx-O, the Thunderian Chief Commander, had managed to prevent Claudus from starting another war. The king had grabbed Lion-O by the arm and dragged him inside the palace again, while Jaga had remained behind, talking more sensibly to the jaguar councillor.

 

Lion-O had been for the first time in his life really afraid of his father. Claudus had demanded to know why Lion-O hadn’t contacted him and tell him what had been going on. Why Lion-O hadn’t say anything? What had been the point of him returning to Tygra’s side if he had been useless?

 

A tear escaped Lion-O’s eye. That had hurt the most. The fact that his father now thought that he cared more about trinkets and a hobby than for his brother. He hadn’t had a chance to defend himself. His father hadn’t let him speak a single word. Claudus wouldn’t have allowed Lion-O to return to the jungle if Jaga had not intervened somehow.

 

_“No more talking about it Lion-O! I won’t have such evil introduced in my kingdom! It’s clear that it can only bring suffering!”_

_“But father, I…”_

_“No buts Lion-O! It has hurt your brother enough! And you’re never going to go to that devilish place again!”_

_“Father…”_

_“Never Lion-O!”_

_The lion teen flinched, as he was sure that his father was going to hit him. Jaga entered the room in that moment and put a hand on Claudus’ shoulder to ground him._

_“Calm yourself my king. You’ll have to let him go one more time.”_

_“Jaga! That place is perverting him!”_

_“Nonetheless, you’re going to have to trust in your heir’s instincts this time. Come. You too Cheetara. Wait here Lion-O.”_

 

Those had been the last words he had heard from his father. A servant had come looking for him some time later, and had guided him to the jaguar councillors. He had found Cheetara there, and Jaga had apparently reached an agreement with Kaleb. Claudus had not been present to give his farewell, and Lion-O had felt rejected. He had informed himself later, while they were in the ship, that Kaleb had refused to take Cheetara, or any other cleric, with them if Lion-O wasn’t also returning to the jungle. The only reason Baal had allowed Cheetara’s presence in the first place had been because the Thunderian king had insisted that his heir needed a cleric as a tutor. If Lion-O would no longer be in Ix-Maal, there was no need for a cleric either.

 

Lion-O pressed his lips together. He understood that Jaga had managed to convince Claudus to allow him to return to Ix-Maal because they had wanted to send Cheetara to Tygra. That meant that Cheetara had orders concerning his brother and the cubs. She wouldn’t tell anything to Lion-O but he had observed her in their ride back, and it had looked like she wasn’t happy about the situation. She had been downright troubled.

 

Lion-O scowled fiercely. He had been asking himself if he should tell Tygra everything that had happened. The tiger was going to be upset, but Lion-O had to tell him. At the very least, Jareid had to be aware of the possible problem, so they could protect Tygra. Lion-O bit his lip at the last thought. Telling Jareid was a desperate move. The jaguar prince was going to go into murder-mode, and he’d likely go after Cheetara without waiting to see if the cheetah would actually follow trough with her orders or not. But Tygra’s safety was more important. Lion-O finally decided that he’d tell his brother, and he’d let the orange tiger and Ben decide what to tell Jareid. Besides, Kaleb was going to tell Baal everything. The jaguar king was surely going to take every precaution he deemed necessary. With a deep breath, Lion-O cleaned his eyes from errant tears and rang the bell to his brother’s rooms.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Baal listened to Kaleb’s report and nodded. Things had gone as expected. He had known that the cleric would be obliged to report everything to Claudus and the lion king had exploded. Kaleb had been prevented in advance. The guard going with him had been ready too. In the worst-case scenario, they would have blown their way out of the city and taken Lion-O with them. Fortunately Claudus had Jaga, a much more levelled head in critical situations. At least the old jaguar had learned from past mistakes. It must be the blood of the clan in his veins. Baal had been counting on the jaguar cleric counsellor to prevent his king from doing something stupid again. And he also had been counting on the fact that Jaga would propose an alternate form of attack to Claudus.

 

The lion wanted his adopted son back, so it stood to reason that he would try to eliminate the obstacles for that to happen, namely the cubs. Now, Mai’s existence guaranteed that there would be an heir, whether Jaga succeeded on eliminating Tygra’s cubs or not. It would not be the same, and definitely not good for Jareid’s and Tygra’s personal relationship, but the tiger will stay in Ix-Maal. Baal was sure that Cheetara knew this, and thus Jaga had the knowledge too. But the lions were known for their stubbornness, and the jaguars were not exactly good at admitting defeat. Jaga would have come with a solution, and he would need a way to implement it.

 

The clerics could perform certain kinds of magic, but they needed a conduit, and distance in this case was not on Jaga’s side. He would have found himself in the need to send someone to do the dirty work. Kaleb had been instructed to ensure that only the cheetah would be allowed as Lion-O’s company. The young female was smart. She had experienced first hand what Jareid was capable of, and she had been finally convinced that Tygra was as enamoured of his non-born cubs as any mother would be. The cheetah was less likely to try something that would be highly detrimental to Tygra’s health.

 

Baal was lost in his thoughts for a moment. The options had been greatly reduced for the Thunderians, but knowing as little as he knew of them, Baal was certain that they would still try something. He would have if he had been in Claudus’ place. He just had to find out the thing that could possibly force Tygra’s release from the mating at this point. If the possibility existed, Jaga would have found it.

 

“Xiar, make it so the cheetah is never alone with Tygra. As soon as it’s safe to perform the caesarean, you do it. I want those cubs born as soon as possible.”

 

“Yes sir.”

 

&&&&&&

 

Cheetara walked to Tygra’s room slightly behind Lion-O. She was carrying a tray with tea service. It was late afternoon and she wanted to have a chat with Tygra. They obviously were not going to be alone, but she hoped that the shaman wouldn’t be there. He would immediately detect anything amiss in Cheetara’s body language or in the tea. She still was trying to come to terms with what she had to do, and she knew that she would have limited opportunities to do it.

 

Lion-O called at the door of Tygra’s study, and Saixa opened it. The jaguaress smiled warmly at them and ushered them in. Cheetara bit her lips. The female courtesan wasn’t so bad, but it irked her that they wouldn’t leave Tygra alone even a minute.

 

The tiger was leaning on the back of the couch. He was desperate. His ankles were swollen, but he didn’t want to sit down. His lower back was always in pain, and he felt like his hips were cracking. He smiled miserably at his brother and the cleric, and proceeded to go around the couch to sit and try to get comfortable. Lion-O sat at his side and Cheetara sat with Saixa on the other couch.

 

Tygra was very apprehensive. Lion-O had told him what had happened in Thundera and he was wary of Cheetara’s intentions. He gave her a cautious nod, as Lion-O put a hand on his belly protectively.

 

Cheetara sighed. The young lion was upset with her. He had not taken well that she had orders to try to free Tygra from the mating. He considered that his brother was fine and content. He had a family of his own now, and no one should try to break a family. Cheetara had tried to make him see that it was not a real family, and that Tygra had been forced to accept it. Lion-O was not convinced though. What Tygra showed to him was a façade of acceptance. The tiger didn’t want his brother to worry, and he had leaded the lion to believe that he was fine, when Cheetara knew he was not. Tygra messed his brother’s mane with affection and looked at his friend with some doubt.

 

“So, I take it that father was not very happy with the news?”

 

Cheetara shrugged and sighed reluctantly.

 

“That’s an understatement. Tygra, you knew he was going to be disappointed. He’s also seeing the pregnancy as proof of abuse. He’s very angry on your behalf.”

 

Saixa bit her lips, but didn’t comment. Tygra groaned in frustration.

 

“Didn’t you tell him why?”

 

“That’s only more proof that you were forced into this situation. He knows you had no choice, and you should have.”

 

“That’s beyond the point. There’s nothing to do, and I’m fine with it!”

 

“He doesn’t believe you are. He’s willing to enter in conflict again…”

 

“That’s stupid! He’s going to get himself killed and Thundera destroyed, and I’d still stay here!”

 

“Tygra, Baal wouldn’t…”

 

“He totally would.” Said Saixa, because she could tell that Cheetara didn’t believe Tygra’s words. The cheetah narrowed her eyes at her.

 

“There is no reason why Baal would want a war over Tygra.” Said the cheetah. Saixa sighed.

 

“I know you don’t understand the why. But believe me, Baal is not going to give up Tygra. You’d sooner get back the Sword of Omens.”

 

Cheetara shook her head. To her all of this conflict was nothing more than a pissing contest between two prideful males. Tygra gave her a resigned smile.

 

“It’s over Cheetara. Even if father doesn’t accept it. I’m fine now. I wouldn’t have chosen this in normal circumstances, but I’m making most of what I was given.”

 

Cheetara smiled, knowing that her friend was not going to change his mind.

 

Lion-O suddenly yelped and grinned brightly. Tygra grunted in discomfort as his twins seemed to roll over inside him. He swore they moved more violently when Lion-O was touching his belly. He rubbed soothing circles on the sore spot and cooed instinctively.

 

“Easy my boys. You’re going to be able to play with uncle Lion-O all you want when you’re actually born.”

 

“What’s wrong with playing now?” Asked the young lion.

 

Tygra chuckled and groaned in pain at a rather hard blow to his kidney.

 

“These two are going to be a handful!”

 

“Do you have names yet?” Asked Saixa as she started to serve the tea. Tygra grinned.

 

“Yes, but I’m not telling you.”

 

“You’re mean.”

 

They moved into a safer topic of conversation. Tygra was still wary that Cheetara would try something. She had not told him what her orders were, and he couldn’t phantom what solution Jaga could have possibly proposed. Whatever it was, it better not endanger his cubs, because he was not going to tolerate any harm done to his little ones.

 

All in all time passed by. They had a nice chat, and the females left the moment Jareid appeared in the room. The jaguar glared at the cheetah, and held Tygra possessively as the friends were saying good-bye. He had been told to be extremely cautious around the cleric and if possible not let her around Tygra until the cubs were born. He had allowed teatime because Tygra had begged for it, and Saixa was going to be on alert. Besides, Bengali had given Tygra a beverage beforehand, saying that it would counteract most toxic substances that he might ingest. Tygra had protested that it was unlikely that Cheetara would try to poison him, but he had drank the thing anyway because he was not going to take any chances with his cubs.

 

Once they were alone, Jareid kissed his mate soundly, and cradled the tiger’s distended belly.

 

“Everything in order?”

 

“Everything is fine Jareid. We only had a chat and drank tea. Lion-O even grew a bit bored.”

 

Tygra narrowed his eyes suddenly, and groaned.

 

“For the…! Have I just had a ‘ _girl’s talk_ ’?” He said mortified. Jareid laughed at his discomfiture.

 

“That’s what you get for wanting to hang around with the cheetah! You need to have your male friends around more!”

 

Tygra punched his mate on the arm, and glared at him.

 

“I’d do that if you weren’t so damned jealous and exaggerated!”

 

Jareid kissed him again. Tygra fought him at first, but he had to give up quickly. He wasn’t in condition to exert the amount of strength required to push Jareid away.

 

“My beautiful tiger. The first thing I’d do once our cubs are born is ravish this beautiful body of yours. I’ll be inside you for an entire day.”

 

Tygra shuddered. He wasn’t looking forwards to that, because he believed Jareid entirely capable to fuck him non-stop from dusk to dusk.

 

“Jareid…” He groaned as the jaguar sucked a particular spot behind his ear. Then, Jareid lifted him and positioned him lying on the couch, so he could have his way with him more comfortably. Tygra lost himself in his mate’s attentions. He could do nothing to make Jareid stop once he was fully in an amorous mood, so he may as well enjoy it.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra woke up sometime before midnight. He lifted his head from Jareid’s arms and blinked, groggy and not sure what had woken him. He sighed. He had not slept well the entire week, as he kept going to the toilet and his back seemed to be perpetually hurting. He was about to try and close his eyes again when a wave of pain assaulted him. It started in the middle of his low back and moved to his front; making his abdominal muscles tighten hard. He gasped and tried to curl, effectively waking Jareid who had developed lighter sleep lately.

 

“Wha….? Tygra? You ok?”

 

Tygra breathed as the pain slowly subsided and he felt he could talk again.

 

“I-I don’t know… The cubs are not moving, at least I think they’re not… Owww!”

 

Another wave of pain, stronger than the previous one, hit him. He cried out and Jareid was on his feet in an instant.

 

“Tygra! Breath! I’ll call Bengali!”

 

Tygra didn’t answer. He felt like his hipbone was about to crack. The pain focused at the lowest part of his tummy and then faded again slowly. He gasped when Bengali touched his shoulder asking what was he feeling. He wasn’t sure when Jareid had picked him up, but they were suddenly rushing out of the bedroom while another wave of pain hit him.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid passed from one side of the room to the other, growling in frustration and anger. Everyone was there, including the annoying cheetah, and the shamans had put them in a furnished room to wait for news on Tygra. Apparently, his body had entered labour. The strain of the pregnancy was too much already and the tiger’s physique had taken all it could. The twins needed to be born now.

 

Jareid wanted to pull at his mane. It wasn’t time yet! It was ten days too early for the cubs to be born! One of the shamans had explained – and he intellectually understood – that Tygra’s age was a major factor. Younger cats tended to give birth prematurely. Add to it Tygra’s gender, and the fact that there were two cubs instead of one, and it had been almost a given that the twins would have had to be born before time. But Jareid didn’t like it. Tygra’s and the cubs’ well-being was in serious danger! And the chances of the cubs’ survival had diminished drastically. They had already been expecting them to be a month earlier than other cubs. Almost two weeks more to add was a long time in development’s point of view. The twins would need medical attention, maybe time in an incubator, and if they had not completed their development to a level that allowed them to survive outside the womb, they were doomed.

 

Jareid hit a wall with force and snarled fiercely at it. He couldn’t lose his cubs. He couldn’t lose Tygra. Not now! He had worked too hard to establish a firm bond with the tiger. He had been granted his wish of his own family. He couldn’t lose it!

 

He felt small arms clinging to his waist and he lowered his eyes, trying to not snap at his sister. Yeana was the only one that dared to approach him when he was this angry. She was the only one who could calm him down to a manageable level. This time though, he felt too anxious and the snarl didn’t leave his face or his tone when he spoke.

 

“Yeana. Not now.”

 

The girl looked at him pleadingly, and didn’t release his waist.

 

“He’s going to be fine Jareid. Xiar and Bengali are not going to let anything happen to him.”

 

Jareid clenched his jaw and growled. He trusted Bengali, but he would have preferred that Xiar wouldn’t have to be involved. His cubs and Tygra better survive the birth or the kingdom would find itself in need of a new high shaman. Yeana was not scared by her brother’s anger and persisted on her hug, until Jareid’s hand was messing her long mane affectionally.

 

Cheetara was on edge. She was biting her nails in anxiousness. She had waked up in the middle of the night because she had sensed Lion-O’s distress. The shamans had been given specific instructions to raise the entire family if there was any emergency concerning Tygra. Apparently, the family included Lion-O, and the young lion was as worried as Jareid for his brother’s well-being.

 

The cheetah was conflicted. She knew that an early birth diminished the probability of the cubs’ survival, but Tygra would be in great danger too. She wanted to get to Bengali and demand an explanation. They were supposed to have everything under control! She had not had the courage to slip the poison to Tygra, so there had been no reason for the tiger to enter labour prematurely!

 

She pressed her lips together in concern, her eyes following every one of Jareid’s moves. The jaguar was very disturbed and she feared that he’d lose control any moment and lash against the first cat that dared to talk to him. Her eyes widened in dismay when that cat resulted to be Yeana. The young kit walked to her brother, as if it was an every day situation, and Jareid was not on the verge of perpetrating physical damage. She looked around in disbelief that no one intended to stop her. She even gave a step forwards to do it herself before Jareid hurt the little girl, but Xiao stopped her, grabbing her arm. She turned to glare at the servant. Xiao had been the one to alert Lion-O and the lion had requested that he stayed with them. Cheetara was not fond of the old jaguar, and she tried to disengage her arm from his grip.

 

“Let go. Someone has to stop her! He’s going to hurt her!”

 

“Nonsense. Prince Jareid would never hurt his little sister. You, however, he’d have no qualms in release his tension with.”

 

Cheetara hissed and looked towards Jareid again. She was utterly baffled when she saw Yeana hugging her brother and the prince petting her, without an ounce of violence in his gesture. She could see in his face that he was still very angry, but he was not lashing out to the young kit clinging to his waist. It was surreal.

 

The cheetah shook her head in both relief and shock. That someone could show both violence and care at the same time was confusing as hell. How could Tygra deal with someone like that?

 

Her eyes moved over to where Lion-O was sitting beside Xilara. She wondered for a moment what would have happened if Lion-O hadn’t been sent to Ix-Maal with his brother. Then she sighed in dejection. Whether the lion had been used against his brother or not was not relevant any longer. Tygra had accepted his fate and had willingly submitted to the jaguar prince.

 

At the moment Cheetara’s only option would be that the twins wouldn’t make it, and she would manage to find the jaguaress that was carrying the third cub, so she could slip Jaga’s beverage to her. She sighed again. It was very unlikely that that would happen.

 

She looked towards Lion-O again and pressed her lips tightly together. She wanted to try and comfort Lion-O, but the young prince was still mad at her. The angry words he had yelled at her when she had intercepted him and Xiao on their way to the shamans’ wing still rang in her ears.

 

_“If you did this, I’ll never forgive you!”_

 

Lion-O was terrified of losing his brother, and he was crying quietly on Xilara’s arms. The queen was giving encouraging words as she caressed the young lion’s mane. On the other side of the room, Jareid had finally relented to his sister’s pleads and was leaning on a high cabinet with Yeana on his arms. The only one that looked unperturbed was Baal.

 

Cheetara narrowed her eyes at the king’s apparent calm, but before she could think too much about it, the door opened and Bengali entered the waiting room. Immediately, Jareid was in front of him, with Yeana clinging to his neck, the little girl refusing to be put down.

 

Bengali lifted his hands in a placating gesture, and spoke before Jareid started the barrage of questions he had wanted to ask.

 

“Calm down Jareid. Tygra and the twins are stabilized now. Tygra is going to take a few hours to be conscious and coherent again. It’ll take some more time for him to recover entirely, but he’s out of danger now.”

 

“The twins?” Asked Baal as his son processed the news that his mate was going to be fine.

 

“They’re small and weak, but both of them survived the birth and are now in incubators. If they make it to two days, their lungs will be gaining strength and they’d have a better chance to survive on their own. Their inner organs are not yet at an optimum stage, but apparently they’re functional. We’ll be doing scans and some tests as soon as it’s safe to do so. Right now we are trying to not disturb them too much. They need to be stable.”

 

Jareid growled lowly. He wanted to see his mate and cubs, and it was too hard for him to remain still. Luckily for him, Xiar arrived, and Baal ordered everyone to return to their rooms and rest. It was clear that the worst had passed, and it was dawn already. They could see Tygra when everyone had had some sleep.

 

Xilara took Yeana from a frantic Jareid’s arms, freeing him to grab Bengali and made the tiger guide him to Tygra’s room. The queen asked Xiao to take Lion-O to bed, and Cheetara followed them. Her heart felt lighter, relieved that she hadn’t had the chance to betray Tygra’s trust after all.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid entered the recovery room and made a beeline to the bed where Tygra was knocked out. He sat close to the tiger’s head and caressed it lovingly. After a minute his eyes scanned the room and he scowled and glared at Ben, who was at his side.

 

“Where are my cubs Ben?”

 

“Next door. They have to be constantly monitored Jareid. Any change now could be fatal for them.”

 

The jaguar gritted his teeth. He didn’t like not being able to see his cubs.

 

“They have to bond with Tygra. With both of us!”

 

“They are still listening to his heartbeat, and the incubators are recreating the womb’s environment to perfection. They’ll be fine Jareid. As soon as they are strong enough to breath on their own we’ll get them out of the incubator.”

 

“Two days is too much time!”

 

Ben was about to retort that Jareid had in fact spent a week in the incubator himself, but he bit his tongue. Since he had been named Jareid’s personal healer he had gained access to the royal family’s health records, and he had often wondered if the many unusual circumstances that had surrounded Jareid’s birth had something to do with the prince’s difficulties to keep strong relations outside of his family.

 

“You will be able to see them. Just give them and Tygra some time to recover from the birth. It was very hard on the three of them.”

 

Jareid growled and clenched his jaw shut. He turned to Tygra again and continued exploring his mate’s face and neck with his fingers.

 

“Tell me the truth Ben. Did the cheetah do something to bring this on?”

 

The shaman sighed. He debated for a moment whether he should tell Jareid what the beverage he had given Tygra had been for. Xiar and Baal had had a conference and had deduced that the only way Tygra would be free of his bond to Jareid was giving birth to stillborn cubs. They hadn’t know if the cheetah would dare to give Tygra the potion needed for that to happen, but they had decided to not give her a chance. The medicine that Bengali had made the tiger prince drink had been the thing that had induced the early labour. They had known that the risk to the cubs would be high and that they could have lost them. But the cubs would have been born. The mating was sealed whether the twins survived or not.

 

Ben hadn’t outright lied to Tygra. The medicine would have reacted immediately if the tiger had ingested any kind of abortive, forcing the cubs to be borne before the toxic substance would have affected them. The fact that Tygra had experienced a mostly normal – for a male – labour was proof that the cheetah had not slipped anything to him. Bengali thought about explaining everything to Jareid. Self-preservation won though, and he limited himself to answer succinctly what the jaguar had asked.

 

“No. Tygra’s body would have reacted violently the moment he tasted something harmful to the cubs.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

“Of course. I know she would be a convenient target for your anger Jareid, but she didn’t do anything this time.”

 

The jaguar growled unhappily and continued to comb Tygra’s mane with his fingers. Ben put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“They are fine Jareid. You’d have your family in your den in a few days. Try to rest, you need it.”

 

Jareid nodded reluctantly. He lied down on the bed and curled around Tygra, trying to protect the younger male as much as possible. Ben sighed in relief when the prince closed his eyes and left the room to give them privacy.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra woke to find himself entirely wrapped up in Jareid’s arms. As that was not unusual he sighed in contentment and blinked a couple of times. He was confused and felt weird, like something was not clicking in his mind. It took himself some moments to realize that his abdomen felt very sore. An instant later he registered the fact that he couldn’t feel his cubs moving. His hand automatically moved to rub his belly, only to find out that there was no noticeable bump any longer, and a bandage covering his stomach. He panicked and tried to get up, but the pain in his midsection prevented him from doing anything. He cried out and felt absently as Jareid’s arms forced him to be flat on the bed again.

 

“Take it easy Tygra. It’s going to hurt for a while yet.”

 

“Ja-Jareid… M-my cubs… what happened?”

 

“It’s ok my tiger. They are in observation; they need to gain strength. I’ll tell Ben to take us to them as soon as you’re better.”

 

Tygra was baffled. It took some moments for him to make sense of Jareid’s words, and his eyes widened in anguish.

 

“They… they are born? But… they can’t be born yet! It’s too soon! They have a week and a half left!”

 

Jareid hugged a panicked Tygra to prevent him from trying to get up again, and rubbed circles on the tiger’s back to soothe him.

 

“It’s ok. Bengali assured me that they’re going to be fine. You need to recover so we can take care of them.”

 

“I want to see them. Where are they?”

 

“Next room. Don’t worry, we are going to see them. Ben is going to be here soon.”

 

“They’re not supposed to be born yet…”

 

“Shh… They’ll be fine. They have the best attention, and they’re still listening to your heartbeat. Nothing is going to go wrong.”

 

Tygra sniffled and rubbed anxiously his now mostly flat belly. He felt that something was missing. He didn’t like the feeling. He wanted to hold his cubs. He was miserable until Bengali arrived with breakfast.

 

Tygra tried to get up and demand to be taken to his cubs, but his abdominal muscles protested rather harshly, and he lied down whimpering in pain.

 

“Stay still Tygra. Your inner organs took the brunt of the strain. They needed to be rearranged and would take a while to recover.”

 

Tygra groaned unhappily while Jareid rubbed his back. The jaguar didn’t want to touch the tiger’s belly, fearing he could hurt his mate.

 

“Ben… Where are my cubs? I want to see them…”

 

Tygra looked up pleadingly at his friend. The shaman sighed. It was very difficult when the cubs had to spend time in the incubator. The parents grew nervous and demanded to take them, risking the cubs’ lives in doing so. He prayed that Jareid wouldn’t make things more difficult than they were, but he realized that Tygra won’t help the situation if he was also distressed over his cubs.

 

“They need to be disturbed as less as possible for a while. We have to keep them out of reach for now, but don’t worry. They are out of danger, and one of you would be able to see them. But you have to eat first, and then I have to check you up, and see if you can move without hurting yourself more. The stitches are still fresh, and you really should stay in bed for the moment.”

 

The young tiger groaned. He had a light breakfast in his mate’s company, and then Ben could poke and scan him until he was satisfied that he hadn’t pulled anything out of place. The shaman told him to rest, and guided Jareid to the adjacent room so the jaguar prince could see his cubs and give Tygra some peace of mind.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra spent the entire day worrying, and frantic to see his cubs. He hadn’t been too comfortable for visits, but he couldn’t deny Lion-O. The young lion had taken quite a scare, and needed reassurance that his brother was in no danger of dying. No one could see the twins save Baal and Jareid. The jaguar prince had tried to reassure Tygra that his cubs were fine, but he had been frowning and the tiger could tell that his mate was worried. He ached to see his cubs. His instincts had been altered by the pregnancy, and were demanding to identify his cubs and keep them safe. He knew that new mothers were very protective of their cubs, and it was killing him not being able to even see his little ones.

 

To make matters worse, one of the cubs needed surgery. The scans revealed an obstruction in his intestines, and they had to get rid of it before it caused mayor problems. The cub had complications with his heart and lungs while in surgery, and it was a miracle that they got him out of it alive. Bengali almost cried in relief when they got the cub stabilized again in the incubator. He didn’t know what he would have said to Tygra and Jareid if the cub had died. The jaguar prince was on the verge of demolish the entire wing as it was.

 

Those were the worst two days of Tygra’s life. When he was finally allowed to see his cubs, he almost stumbled with his own feet in his hurry to enter the room.

 

Both cubs were still inside the incubators, but as the machines were made of a transparent material they were entirely visible. Tygra barely waited for Jareid to be at his side to approach the bassinet-like contraptions. The cubs were lying on what looked like a white mattress with only their nappies covering them. Both had a mask over their nose and mouth; it was helping them breath.

 

Tygra gasped and extended a hand, touching gingerly the dome that separated him from his cubs. He looked at the two tiny figures in wonder and worry. He was closer to the second born cub, and he started to inspect him as much as he could. The tiny kitten could have easily fit in his forearm. His body was entirely covered in black fur, so black that it would look blue or purple with certain light. He had not have any problems whatsoever, and in fact was wearing the mask only as a precaution. They were going to get him out of the incubator in some moments, and Tygra ached to just lift the dome and get his cub out. Then his eyes looked over at the next incubator, where his first-born was. The cub was as small as his brother, but his fur was white on his front, and his arms, legs and head looked clear yellow. He was going to have Jareid’s colouring.

 

Tygra got closer to his first-born. Besides the mask, the kitten had his tummy bandaged and some needles attached to his left arm. Some kind of sensor had been strapped to the cub’s chest, and he was positioned in such a way that prevented him from moving too much. Tygra clenched his fists in frustration. He knew his cub was hurting, and he could do nothing to help. Jareid circled his waist from behind and breathed on his ear.

 

“He’s going to be fine. He’s recovering. It’d just be a couple of days, you’d see.”

 

“I don’t want to leave him here, all alone. Why can’t we stay here with him?”

 

“Because you are not going to be able to just stay still and not try to get him out of the incubator.”

 

Tygra turned to see Bengali and Sarai entering the room. The white tiger looked tired, but relatively calm. Jareid huffed indignantly at his words, and Tygra actually smiled at his mate’s taking offence over an obvious thing. Ben approached the first incubator and pushed some buttons in the side. The cub started to move and Tygra was there instantly.

 

“Besides, you need to take care of this little one too. It’s going to be difficult if you stay in an emergency room that has to be isolated and sterilized as much as possible.”

 

He liked the readings he was given by the machine, and the dome lifted. Tygra had to cross his arms tightly to not reach out and grab his cub. Bengali retired the mask and between him and Sarai did a quick check up of the cub. The little one was breathing on his own, and seemed to have no problems whatsoever. He even started to mewl in distress at being wakened so rudely and manhandled. Tygra felt Jareid growling and for a moment feared that his mate would do something rash. Perhaps they should have waited outside after all, because he was not sure that he would want to stop Jareid if the jaguar decided to snatch their cub away from the shamans.

 

There was a bit of movement from the other bassinet, and Tygra turned to see. The other cub was trying to move, and was emitting distressing sounds. Both parents leaned on the incubator, talking to him and trying to soothe him with their voices. Bengali approached them to check on the cub while Sarai finished with the other. Tygra didn’t know what to do. He wanted to divide himself in two and look at both cubs at the same time. At his side, Ben was smiling.

 

“He’s fine. He’s actually recovering very fast. If he keeps like this you’ll be able to take him to your rooms tomorrow.”

 

Tygra sighed in relief. Ben opened the dome to allow both parents to caress their cub and kiss him. The little one seemed to relax at the touch and apparently went back to sleep. Tygra looked at him lovingly and scowled when the dome had to be closed again. He wanted his son in his arms already, and he didn’t want to leave him alone another day. But they had to make sure that there was no danger any more, and that his cub will make a full recovery, so he’ll have to wait. In the meantime, Sarai approached them with their second-born already wrapped in blankets. Tygra received him happily.

 

“You have to feed him every four hours. He’s going to ask for it on his own, but it never hurts to keep track of the schedule.”

 

Tygra nodded absently, too preoccupied with checking his cub over and sniffing him. The cub’s nose moved, and he made a tiny noise of recognition. Outside the incubator, he no longer heard the recording of his father’s heartbeat, but he could now smell him. Tygra moved and arranged his cub in such a way that the little head was now against the tiger’s chest.

 

“My little cub. My Akbal. We’re going home now precious.”

 

Little Akbal made a happy noise and yawned. He was more at ease now that he was comfortable and could hear the vibration of his father’s heartbeat again. Tygra smiled and then turned his head towards the remaining incubator. He grew distressed again. He didn’t want to leave his other cub behind. It felt too much like he was abandoning him. Jareid’s arms surrounded him once more and the jaguar kissed his head. Bengali coughed discretely.

 

“If you want, you can stay for a while. Though, Akbal is going to be hungry soon. We were keeping both of them hydrated and injecting nutrients directly to their blood. But they had not truly eaten yet.”

 

Jareid frowned and growled quietly as Tygra asked worriedly.

 

“Is that going to affect Itzamma? Won’t it make things worse?”

 

“Not at all. He’s not going to be hungry because of the surgery. He’s also receiving all the nutrients he needs. His intestines are still tender. They need to recover and soon they’d be functional.”

 

“Promise me he’ll be fine?”

 

“I swear he’s going to be just fine. I’ll tell you if there are any problems.”

 

Tygra nodded. Jareid finally relaxed a little when he cradled Akbal’s head with his hand. The jaguar prince thanked Ben for taking care of his two sons. He was truly grateful that his little cubs had survived and were now with them. He was sure that Itzamma-kim was going to gain strength quickly. He had already survived a major surgery. If no more complications aroused, he’d be with them soon enough.

 

They remained in the room a bit longer, and then Jareid had to practically drag Tygra out. He didn’t want to leave his first-born either, but they had to let him heal more before taking him away from the Shamans’ care. Meanwhile, they had their second cub to look after.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The family was overjoyed to know that one of the cubs was already out of the Shamans’ wing. Tygra didn’t want to show off little Akbal yet, but he accepted Lion-O and Yeana’s visit. The young felines were curious and very excited to meet one of their nephews. Yeana even held him in her arms and noticed that the cub had stripes. He was a little black tiger. They couldn’t see the colour of his eyes, because he’d open them in two or three more days. They asked about the other cub, and Tygra told them that he was going to be released soon. They left very happy that everything was turning out all right.

 

At night, Tygra got conflicted. He didn’t want to leave Akbal in the nursery. He was already pulling out his mane in worry that Itzamma-Kim was alone in the shamans’ wing. He didn’t want to leave his younger cub to sleep alone too.

 

He toyed with the idea of taking Akbal to the bed to sleep with him and Jareid, but he was afraid they’d crush the little cub. Jareid ended up carrying one of the bassinets into the bedroom, so Tygra could be close to their cub.

 

Tygra changed Akbal’s nappy and dressed him in a fresh T-shirt to put him in his bassinet for the night. The cub mewled and wriggled, not liking the changing process. Tygra had some problems getting Akbal’s tiny arms through the sleeves of the T-shirt. When he finally succeeded, and had his cub all clean and covered again, he lifted him up and cradled him in his arms, trying to make him sleep. Akbal quieted in his father’s arms, and his little fist found the way to his mouth. Tygra smiled and kissed his son’s forehead.

 

He had just lied down Akbal in his bassinet, when Jareid entered the bedroom. Tygra looked at his mate anxiously. The jaguar had gone to make a night visit to Itzamma-Kim and to inform himself of the cub’s progress. Tygra had wanted to go too, but Jareid had convinced him to stay and feed Akbal. Tygra was still convalescent and was not supposed to be pushing himself too much. He had to take it easy for a few days.

 

“How is he?” He asked as soon as Jareid had finished kissing him.

 

“Perfectly fine. There had not been any complications, and he’s healing quite fast. If he keeps going like that, we’re going to be able to bring him home tomorrow afternoon.”

 

Tygra sighed in relief at the news. His two cubs were going to be together again soon. He couldn’t be sure, but he swore that Akbal missed his brother. His black cub wriggled too much and mewled in distress when he was put down alone. He only calmed down when he was held, or sleeping.

 

“I’d like to keep them both here with us for a couple of nights. Just to be on the safe side.”

 

“Don’t worry. They can sleep here until you feel you can leave them out of your sight for the night. As long as you don’t want them actually sleeping with us. I’d be unable to close eye the entire night! I don’t want to chance an accident.”

 

Tygra chuckled and leaned on his mate, who had put his hands on the tiger’s waist.

 

“I did think about it. Especially because Akbal has been sharing a space with his brother for so long, and I think he feels Itzamma-Kim is missing. But you’re right. I don’t want to chance him being crushed by us either.”

 

Jareid sucked Tygra’s neck and kissed his temple.

 

“I’m always right. You should be used to it by now.”

 

Tygra rolled his eyes and extended a hand to caress his son’s head. Akbal made a quiet mewl and continued sleeping.

 

“I’m bringing the other bassinet in tomorrow morning.”

 

“I don’t think it’s necessary. They are small enough. Both of them will fit in one bassinet easily.”

 

Jareid looked at the tiny form of his son, lying amongst a nest of blankets in the middle of the bassinet. He agreed that there was ample space left. They could separate them later, once they had grown a bit.

 

He made a sound of agreement, and then pulled on Tygra’s ear with his mouth.

 

“Come. Let’s go to sleep. He’s going to wake us soon enough.”

 

Tygra grunted, and gave a final kiss to his cub’s forehead before going to bed. Jareid caressed his son’s head a last time and joined his mate. They both were tired and had to try to get some rest while they could.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra could not sleep. He kept waking up continuously, waiting for Akbal to cry out, asking for milk. When he finally had managed to last thirty minutes without opening his eyes, his cub woke and started to mewl, quietly at first, but soon seemed to acquire momentum.

 

Jareid grunted as Tygra practically jumped out of bed and flinched in pain as his abdominal muscles complained. The tiger paused to breath twice and then ignored the pain and picked up his cub from the crib. He looked around and realized that he had not brought the bottles of milk that Saixa had stored for them.

 

“Whiskers.”

 

“…w’s a’ matte’…?” Came Jareid’s slurred voice. Tygra sighed in resignation.

 

“The milk is in the nursery. I’ll just go for a bottle.”

 

“’s ok… I’m going…”

 

Tygra was surprised that Jareid actually got out of bed and put on his shorts to go retrieve the bottle of milk. He smiled at his mate’s retreating back and started to rock his cub to try and soothe him while the bottle arrived.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid walked, half-asleep, through the study and the sitting area. He opened the door, and almost collided with Saixa, who was standing right outside. He blinked and glared at the jaguaress, who had the gall to smile at him.

 

“Going somewhere Jareid?”

 

The prince snarled at her, annoyed by the unexpected obstacle.

 

“What in hell are you doing here?”

 

Saixa produced a small, storage box, with two bottles full of milk. Jareid looked lost for a second, and then grabbed the box.

 

“I imagined you’d forget it. First time and all that.”

 

Jareid was very tempted to ask what she wanted. He was sure that the girl had to have a motive for being so solicitous. But he could hear Akbal crying, so he only gave a quick thank you and closed the door to return to his mate and son, leaving Saixa with an amused smile in her lips.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra spent the next day biting his claws in anxiousness. He had not slept well, and he was upset that Jareid had all but ordered him to stay in their rooms. He wanted to go and plant himself in the Shamans’ wing until they released Itzamma-Kim into his care. He was torn into doing just that and staying put to take care of Akbal, who also needed him. He was aware that Saixa and even the queen could help him with his cub, but he didn’t want to leave him into anyone’s care yet. It was too soon, and his instinct was still urging him to just cope up with both his cubs, and not let anyone close to them. It was driving him insane.

 

He took Akbal to the nursery to try killing time sorting everything that was there. Between Jareid acquiring things like crazy and half the Ix-Maal’s population sending them gifts, they now had a ton of nappies, millions of toys and other trinkets, and enough clothes to last them their entire lives.

 

Tygra sighed at the overly crowded nursery. Really, someone should teach the jaguars the concept of ‘ _limits_.’ They would have to get rid of some things. He was sure that none of his three cubs was going to wear half the clothes they had now. He put Akbal in one of the bassinets and started to sort out the things he wanted to keep. He at least succeeded in let the day go away more or less quickly. He was only interrupted when Saixa brought him some bottles with fresh milk.

 

Finally, just before dinner, Bengali and Jareid entered the rooms with a little wriggling and mewling bundle of blankets. Tygra was on his feet in an instant and snatched his little cub from his mate’s arms. Jareid gaped at him incredulously.

 

“Hey! What’s the problem? He’s my son too, you know.”

 

Tygra growled at him and went to the far end of the nursery, picking Akbal from the bassinet on his way. He sat on the rocking chair and proceeded to inspect his first-born, summarily ignoring the other two cats. Jareid was baffled.

 

“Is that normal?”

 

“Oh yes, completely normal. He’s going to be very possessive of the cubs for a few days, especially your first-born. Let him be. Once he feels safe and sure that his cub has recognized him, he’d speak to you again.”

 

Jareid shook his head in wonder. Itzamma-Kim stopped mewling in distress and Tygra started to purr contently. Ben smiled at the young tiger and gave Jareid a quick reminder of the care that his two cubs needed. Then he dragged the jaguar prince out of the nursery, just to give Tygra more time to bond with his cubs.

  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: The names of the cubs are Mayan
> 
> Akbal: Night; third seal in the calendar. (Noche, sello 3)
> 
> Itzamma: The chosen master. (El señor elegido) Also the name of a god.


	21. Cubs and Politics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

Tygra looked lovingly at his cubs cuddling comfortably in their bassinet. Both had seemed really happy and Tygra had felt reassured in his belief that they had missed each other. The contrasts of their colouring made Tygra think of day and night together. He had worried at first that Akbal could hurt Itzamma-Kim, who still had a bandage protecting the stitches on his belly, much like his dad. But Itzamma didn’t give any sign of discomfort when his brother cuddled to him. Both cubs just curled around each other, fitting perfectly.

 

Tygra ran his hand along the back of his first-born. Akbal looked every inch like a tiny black tiger, but Itzamma resembled more the hybrid he was. The white fur on his face was only marred by two slightly darker lines below the eyes; the mane on his head was relatively abundant and it stood on end; the light yellow of his fur became darker, almost copper, on his back, and he had three stripes running across it; the rest of him was covered in spots, broken rosettes like Jareid’s. Both cubs were only on their nappies. It was a very hot night after all, and Snarf was at their feet already.

 

The tiger scowled at the furry pet curled tightly at the bottom of the bassinet. He wondered how Snarf had managed to fit in there. He hadn’t realized that the critter had followed him until it was making itself comfortable in the bassinet. He caressed his two cubs again. They didn’t look disturbed by the pet. Their tiny feet didn’t even reach the spot where Snarf was. Either the bassinet was too large, or his cubs were unusually tiny. He decided to hold onto the first option, as Jareid was known for choosing the biggest thing he could find of everything.

 

He was interrupted in his considerations when Jareid stood at the entrance of the bedroom and coughed to call his attention.

 

“Is it safe to approach you now?”

 

Tygra blushed and covered his face in mortification. Jareid chuckled and walked towards his mate to hug him. Tygra leaned on the jaguar prince, still not looking at his face.

 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened to me. I just wanted to make sure that Itzamma was fine…”

 

“It’s ok. Ben said that it’s normal. They’re sleeping now, don’t they?”

 

“Yes. I have to make sure that we have enough bottles. I fed them in the nursery.”

 

Jareid kissed the tiger’s forehead and pulled him to the bed.

 

“Don’t worry. Saixa is going to bring you fresh milk. Now, how about a bit of time for us?”

 

Tygra gulped, feeling Jareid’s hands under his shirt. He was not ready yet to have sex, but he couldn’t find words to stop Jareid from fondling him. Before he knew what has happening he was on his back, half undressed with Jareid over him. He whimpered and tried to close his legs, but the jaguar put one of his own in the way, big hands trapped his wrists and pinned them at both sides of his head. Jareid attacked the tiger’s neck and forced the legs to open with his knees. Tygra gasped. He could feel his hips starting to protest.

 

“Ja… Jareid… please… I’m not really in the mood…”

 

“I’ll put you in it…”

 

Tygra moaned as Jareid started to explore his body in earnest. In short moments, both cats were naked, and Tygra was worrying about his wound. He still had the stitches and Bengali had clearly said that he couldn’t do forced movements. He wasn’t in pain though, he only felt a dull discomfort, so he supposed that he could let Jareid do the work and have his way with him without moving too much. That notion however, flew out of the window when Jareid grabbed his thighs and pushed his legs up to almost touch his chest. He cried out in pain then. His claws imbedded themselves in the mattress, ripping the sheets, and he was out of breath. Jareid stopped all motion and kept himself still, looking at the tense features of his tiger, who was trying to get air into his lungs again.

 

“Tygra?”

 

The tiger gasped and tried to relax. The pain wouldn’t go away. He tried to beg Jareid to stop, not realizing that the jaguar was no longer moving.

 

“Ja… Jareid… please… s-stop…”

 

“Sh… relax Tygra. Breath.”

 

Jareid let Tygra’s legs go and helped the tiger to lie on his side, so he could breath easily. Tygra curled and one hand went to his stomach, protecting the caesarean wound. Jareid held him from behind, still giving him kisses and sucking on his neck. After a while, the pain diminished and Tygra was more relaxed. He moaned again and turned around to cuddle against Jareid.

 

“I’m sorry. It just hurt too much suddenly.”

 

“It’s ok. I’m sorry I forced you. I got impatient. I’m just dying to feel you around me again.” He kissed Tygra again tenderly. “But it’s ok. I’ll wait. I don’t want to hurt you.”

 

Tygra sighed and caressed his mate’s flank. It had taken time to get used to the body of another male so close to his. Now, those nights feeling like he was suffocating in Jareid’s bed seemed so long behind. Now it was comforting to feel the jaguar’s arms around him. Like he was wanted.

 

He ran his hand lower, and soon he found the prince’s half-erect member, which stood to attention as soon as he brushed past it. Jareid groaned in his ear.

 

“I can help with this at least.” Said Tygra, getting a firm hold of his mate’s length. Jareid’s embrace tightened. He didn’t oppose to his tiger’s offer.

 

&&&&&&

 

Later that night, Tygra put Akbal in the bassinet after giving him his milk. The cub immediately returned to his position against his brother’s body. Itzamma barely stirred. Tygra waited for his blond cub to wake up completely and ask for food. However, the minutes passed by, and Itzamma went on sleeping peacefully.

 

Tygra frowned. He had given Itzamma his last bottle of milk four hours ago. Just after his brother. His cub should be hungry. He pressed his lips together. He couldn’t remember if Itzamma-Kim had actually cried for food the previous time. He had just finished with Akbal, put his black cub down, and immediately lifted Itzamma to feed him too. He still had been in full ‘mother-with-newborn-cub’ mode, and hadn’t waited to listen for a cry. But his cub had been awake, and had taken the bottle readily. It had been in fact the first time that Tygra had fed his first born, and Itzamma had eaten an ounce less than his brother, but Ben had warned him that it was normal for the first time, especially with the surgery.

 

Tygra looked at his yellow cub worriedly, not sure what to do. After a few minutes, he lifted Itzamma out of the bassinet. Akbal stirred unhappily and stretched out. His tiny feet barely touched the sleeping Snarf. He didn’t cry though, and went back to sleep. Tygra cradled Itzamma-Kim in one arm and tried to coax him to take the bottle with the other. His cub didn’t take notice.

 

“Come on Itzamma. You have to eat.”

 

He pressed the tit of the bottle against his son’s tiny lips, trying to force it past them. Itzamma scrunched his face and turned his head away. Tygra tried again. Itzamma made an angry noise and allowed the tit to enter his mouth, but he wouldn’t suck on it. Tygra was frustrated.

 

“Itzamma… Son, eat something, please. You are recovering, you need your milk.”

 

He moved the bottle around and pushed it gently. Itzamma whimpered unhappily and wriggled his entire body. He disengaged from the tit and his hands went up to his face and down again. Tygra sighed. Jareid stirred on the bed and lifted his head.

 

“Something’s the matter?”

 

“Itzamma-kim doesn’t want to eat.”

 

“So, he’s not hungry. Let him be.”

 

“But he has to take some milk. It’s been four hours since his previous bottle. He _should_ be hungry.”

 

“I don’t think he cares. Look, leave it for now. In another four hours he’d be hungry enough.”

 

Tygra looked doubtfully at his son, who seemed to be sleeping again.

 

“I don’t want to starve him.”

 

“You’re not starving him. If he cries before the four hours are done, you’d feed him then.”

 

Tygra sighed again and gave up. He put Itzamma back in the bassinet and returned to the bed. He still remained awake about fifteen minutes, waiting for Itzamma to cry, but there was no luck.

 

Akbal woke up right on schedule and started his mewling. Tygra got up and tended to him. He changed his cub’s nappy and gave him his milk. Then he burped him and rubbed his little belly to stimulate the cub’s bowels. Soon enough, Akbal was back in the bassinet, contently resting against his brother, who hadn’t even stirred in all that time.

 

Tygra waited again for Itzamma to ask for milk, but the cub didn’t wake up. Tygra looked at the window worriedly. It was early morning already. He could tell that the sun will appear in the horizon soon. Itzamma had gone almost nine hours without eating. Worried, Tygra got his cub out of the bassinet and tried again to give him the bottle. Itzamma was not amused. He wriggled and mewled in distress, refusing to take the tit into his mouth.

 

“Itzamma, please. It’s the same milk. You liked it well enough yesterday.”

 

The cub stretched and threw his head backwards. Tygra panicked and put the bottle away in favour of getting a better hold on his cub. He cradled the tiny form securely again and rocked him a bit to get him to calm down. When his son was quiet again, he turned to take the bottle of milk to try once more. He put the bottle in position, and stopped short. Itzamma’s clear blue eyes were looking at him intently. Tygra gasped. He could have sworn that his son was glaring at him. It took some moments before his brain caught on the fact that Itzamma’s eyes were open for the first time. However, he couldn’t enjoy the moment. He was too worried because Itzamma needed to eat.

 

“Oh love, you have beautiful eyes sweet. But please, just take a few mouthfuls.”

 

Itzamma made an unhappy noise and refused again to take the tit. Tygra sighed in defeat and put his son in the bassinet. Then he got hold of the communicator and called Bengali urgently.

 

&&&&&&&

 

“Everything seems in order. His wound is healing, and his intestines look to be functional. There’s nothing to worry.”

 

“But he wouldn’t eat. He spent the night without drinking an ounce of milk.”

 

Ben frowned slightly. Jareid and Tygra had taken both cubs to the shamans’ wing so Bengali could check up Itzamma-Kim. Tygra was very worried. Jareid seemed to be waiting to what Ben had to say to know if he should panic too. At the moment, the jaguar was content with holding Akbal, while Tygra hovered anxiously over the exploration table where Itzamma was lying asleep. The cub seemed undisturbed by Ben’s hands poking and prodding him.

 

“Some cubs do that. Maybe Itzamma-Kim is one of the few that spend the entire night sleeping and only eat on daytime. It is possible.”

 

Tygra bit his lips, not really sure if he wanted to be reassured. His cub could still have something serious. Jareid on his part seemed satisfied.

 

“So, he doesn’t need anymore tests.”

 

“Let him be for now. If he doesn’t take his next two feeds we’d do more invasive tests.”

 

Tygra nodded unhappily and lifted his cub in his arms. He didn’t like to not know what was happening with Itzamma, but he couldn’t say that there was something wrong with him. The little cub didn’t give any signs that he was in pain or uncomfortable. Tygra had just changed his nappy and everything had looked normal. He just wouldn’t eat. They returned to their rooms with Tygra still worrying.

 

Akbal woke for his milk when he was supposed to. Tygra did the ritual of feeding and changing his cub with an ear directed towards the bassinet. When he finished with Akbal he redirected his efforts towards his other cub. This time he didn’t wait for Itzamma to cry. He pulled his blond cub out of the bassinet and gave him the bottle without stopping to check if Itzamma was even awake. He wanted to cry in relief when the little cub took the tit readily and started sucking. He sat down on the armchair and looked at his cub’s clear blue eyes as the little one drank his milk happily. He took four and a half ounces of milk and then returned to sleep as Tygra changed his nappy.

 

The tiger rearranged his two cubs in the bassinet and let them sleep, more at ease now that the two had had their fill of milk.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Over the following days the twins got into a steady routine. They fed every four hours, they were evacuating regularly, and sleeping the rest of the time.

 

Itzamma-kim would never wake up at nights. He slept even when his brother was making a ruckus at his side. He was in fact a very quiet cub. He would not cry at all, not even when his nappy was dirty. That made Tygra worry and he checked Itzamma’s behind every hour.

 

Akbal opened his eyes two days after his brother. He had deep blue eyes, like two tiny sapphires. Tygra was very happy with his two sons. He didn’t want to leave their side, and he wouldn’t allow anyone, but Jareid, to see them. Lion-O and Yeana were the only exceptions, and they helped Tygra to change the twins once or twice. Saixa only saw the tiger when she delivered the milk, and Ben every time Tygra called for some emergency. The rest of the world had simply ceased to exist for the young tiger.

 

Jareid was very pleased with his little family. He informed his father of every change of the twins, but was in no hurry to take them out of the rooms to officially present them to the council. It was summarily decided that they were going to wait for the third cub to be born before making any arrangements, as presenting the royal cubs would require a ceremony and a huge celebration for the entire kingdom. Tygra hated the idea, as it would force him to expose his cubs to the world. He didn’t want to, and he’d snarl at the mere mention of it.

 

Politics aside, Tygra’s friends and hunter teammates had sent their congratulations to the young parent, and the tiger was very touched by it. Jareid was surprised that his mate was not pressuring to return to training, but Bengali assured him that once the twins were a month old, Tygra would feel less protective and would return to normal male behaviour. Jareid was not sure he liked the idea, so he shoved it aside and enjoyed Tygra’s willingness to stay confined in their rooms while it lasted. He even helped with the cubs when he was around, and Tygra allowed him to actually hold them.

 

Jareid found out that he liked to take care of Itzamma-Kim. His first-born was very quiet and didn’t make a fuss when he was bathed or changed. Itzamma even accepted the bottle from Jareid instead of Tygra once, something that made Tygra feel incredibly jealous, and he growled at Jareid and demanded his cub back. Jareid surrendered the cub readily, and the little one changed arms and continued feeding without seeming to be perturbed at all by the debacle.

 

The incident however, worried Bengali more than the news that Itzamma was not eating had. Itzamma-Kim was not supposed to accept food from anyone but Tygra until he was at least a month old. He worried for a moment that the cub had not bonded with his parent, but that was a ridiculous notion. Itzamma was eating after all. Cubs that failed to bond wouldn’t eat. He wanted to make an experiment and convinced Tygra to let him try to give Itzamma his bottle. Tygra wasn’t too comfortable with the idea, and he looked with tightly pressed lips as Bengali took Itzamma-Kim in his arms and tried to feed him. Itzamma, however, wouldn’t take the tit. He actually cried for the first time ever, startling Ben, and prompting Tygra to snatch him from the shaman’s arms. Tygra growled at Ben and rocked his cub, kissing the tiny forehead lovingly and reassuring him that everything was alright. In a few moments, Itzamma calmed down and took his milk from Tygra. He didn’t close his eyes for still a good half an hour though, and Tygra reproached Ben for scaring his little cub.

 

It was determined then that Itzamma had bonded with both his parents, which was rare, but not unheard of.

 

As the days went by, Tygra progressively became less anxious and protective. By the time Lion-O’s birthday came by, the tiger was more agreeable to the idea of taking his cubs out of the rooms and let the family and close friends to meet them. His cubs were three days short of being a month old, and they had gained weight and grow a little, but he still saw them tiny.

 

They had a reunion in one of the sitting rooms in the Royal chambers, and everyone was happy to see how well the cubs were doing. Xilara was enchanted with Akbal, who had her same colouring, even the same tone of eyes. She held him for some minutes, but then lost herself in thought and her eyes filled with unshed tears. Baal took the cub from her, and returned him to his tiger parent. Tygra was confused over the incident, but Bengali told him to let it pass, and that they’d talk later.

 

Jareid scowled worriedly at his mother, but then sighed and helped Yeana to held Itzamma for some moments. The girl was amused by the cub’s blonde mane, which insisted on standing on end. She said that her nephew was born to be a rebel because of that. Baal actually groaned at the notion, declaring that he wasn’t going to take another rebellious cub like Jareid had been. Tygra chuckled at the disgruntled face Jareid gave to his father.

 

Lion-O and Yeana held Akbal and Itzamma-Kim for a family picture. After that, they had lunch and Lion-O received his presents and cut a cake. The young lion was happy that his brother was taking to parenthood so well, and teased him a bit. Tygra grumped a little, but he couldn’t deny that he loved his tiny cubs.

 

Saixa got her first good look of the little ones she was providing milk for. She even held Itzamma while Tygra struggled to put Akbal into a clean nappy. Cheetara marvelled at how at ease Tygra seemed to be around his cubs. Both parents were positively glowing, and Jareid even let her to have a closer look at the twins.

 

Later, the cheetah approached her friend. He was looking anxiously as Bengali checked Itzamma’s belly, to show that his surgery wound was healed, and had only left a large scar. He still hadn’t forgiven his friend entirely for making his cub cry.

 

“Parenthood has turned you into a restless maniac, it seems.”

 

Tygra looked at her and huffed. “It’s really unsettling actually. But my cubs are worth it. I love them.”

 

“I can see that. They are lovely, Tygra. I bet you father is going to give you his blessing for them.”

 

“You really think he would? Lion-O said he was very mad.”

 

“He was. But he’s your father. Once he meets his grandsons, he’d be unable to hold any grudge against them.”

 

Tygra sighed. He wanted to take his sons to Thundera. Jareid had promised he’d take them, but he was unsure. He didn’t want to expose his cubs to the conflict between the two kings. Perhaps he should wait until Claudus was more accepting of the situation.

 

He looked towards the couch, where Bengali and Saixa were talking with Xilara, each holding a cub. The queen looked so sad, and it was evident that she wanted to hold Akbal again, but she was restraining herself from doing it. Tygra was a bit unsettled by it. He was about to go and hand Akbal to her, so she could cradle him in her arms for a while, but then the door to the room slid open and Xiar entered, followed by Kaleb.

 

Jareid almost growled. He stood from the spot where he had been teaching Lion-O and Yeana how to play cards, and walked towards the couches. He took Akbal from a surprised Saixa, and cuddled his cub close to his chest. Tygra was alarmed by his mate’s actions and followed his lead, taking Itzamma from Bengali and getting at Jareid’s side. His eyes roamed around the room, looking for the danger his mate had spotted. Xiar sighed and walked towards the queen, as Kaleb stopped where Baal was standing to have a few words with the king.

 

“Come on Tygra. We’re going.”

 

Jareid grabbed his mate’s arm and started to guide him towards the door. Snarf jumped from the chair where he had been and followed them. Before they got out however Baal stopped his son.

 

“Jareid, Xiar assisted your sons’ birth. He also has been following the pregnancy and practiced a difficult surgery on your eldest. Don’t you think they’re safe enough with him?”

 

Jareid snarled and glanced towards Kaleb. The jaguar councillor retreated respectfully a few steps.

 

“Perhaps they’re safe. However, I’d prefer if he never has something more to do with my sons. That also includes the majority of the elders and your older councillors. No one but me is going to have any say in my family.”

 

Baal sighed and got out of the way of his son. Tygra followed his mate in befuddlement. He knew the jaguar prince had problems with the High Shaman, but he had never been so openly hostile before. Not in his presence anyway. They returned to their rooms quickly, just in time for the twins’ feed.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Later that evening, as Tygra left his sons in the bassinet with Snarf curled at their feet, Bengali poked his head in the bedroom.

 

“How’s everyone doing?”

 

“Well, Jareid is a bit grumpy. And he wouldn’t tell me what his problem with Xiar is. I think he believes that I won’t consider it such a big deal.”

 

“Jareid tends to take things too personal for his own good.”

 

Tygra guided Ben to the sitting room, so they wouldn’t disturb the twins. After they sat down, Bengali asked.

 

“Where’s Jareid?”

 

“He had work to finish. Apparently there was an accident in the Forum, and the city guard had to step in.”

 

Ben nodded and Tygra got more serious.

 

“Do you know what happened between Jareid and Xiar? And what’s the matter with queen Xilara? She looked very touched by Akbal’s appearance.”

 

“Both are related in a way. I only know for certain what is in the health history; I wasn’t here at the time everything happened. It is personal, and the queen should be the one to tell you about it in detail. Jareid is going to tell you how he perceives the situation, and everyone else would only tell gossip. Baal won’t even mention it at all. He would pretend nothing is amiss. I can only tell you that queen Xilara tried for too long to have a cub.”

 

Tygra scowled. He knew that black jaguars were not too common in Ix-Maal. It was some kind of mutation. The black panthers, which were more abundant in Thundera, were actually leopards, but because their population was so vast, they had started to consider themselves another clan entirely. The black colour was considered a strong family trait. He had never heard of a black panther, male or female, that had any issues regarding procreation. That was mostly heard from the cheetahs.

 

He sighed and looked towards the door to the rest of the rooms. It was almost a given that Xilara could have had at least one black cub. Akbal had inherited not only her colouring, but also her eyes. It was understandable that she had felt moved, seeing an image of the cub she could not have. Ben sighed.

 

“Look, from what I get, it is a complicated issue. Politics had never been my forte. I guess with time you could gain a clearer picture. Apparently, there were a lot of raised voices when Baal decided to mate with Xilara. Jareid has always resented that, even if he didn’t actually live through it, and his animosity towards Xiar is tied to it too.”

 

Tygra growled lowly. He knew enough about politics, and was observant enough, to have the inkling that the jaguars didn’t look with good eyes a black one in the upper levels of power. He felt sympathetic towards Jareid. He would have hated anyone saying that his mother was not fit to be queen only because she had a different colour than his father. If Xiar had been among those ‘raised voices’ then Tygra didn’t want him to have anything to do with Akbal’s health either. His thoughts focused on his little black cub, and he started to worry. Akbal not only had the black colouring, but also tiger’s stripes. It was very probable that the majority of the nobles would slight him. That was something he won’t stand for, and he hoped that Jareid wouldn’t either.

 

“I foresee a lot of trouble if someone dares to say something about Akbal, and it won’t be only from Jareid.”

 

“I doubt there would be much debacle. Jareid’s reputation can come in handy here.”

 

Tygra grunted. He had to accept that sometimes Jareid’s violence could be useful. Then he scowled, suddenly remembering that they were still waiting for a third cub.

 

“Ben, how’s Mai’s cub doing?”

 

“Very good. Actually, Jareid is pressuring for us to perform a caesarean, or do something to induce labour, so he won’t have to think about that particular problem anymore.”

 

“She has three weeks left. Wouldn’t that be risky for the cub?”

 

“It is risky. We have told Jareid that it’s better to wait until Mai’s body is actually prepared to give birth, but he is getting more and more impatient. Mai is screaming for him almost constantly, and one of these days he’s going to snap. He already says that if you could give birth before time, there’s no reason for her not to.”

 

Tygra groaned. Mai’s pregnancy had caused a lot of unnecessary stress already. He was starting to dread the moment her cub would be handed out to him. The cub would be their youngest, but politically speaking, he would have the advantage in the elder’s eyes. If it was a he, that was.

 

“Still don’t know the gender?”

 

“No. I’m praying for a girl. It’d be a lot easier for you both.”

 

“I don’t know Ben. Wouldn’t a girl remind Jareid constantly of her mother?”

 

Ben scowled, but then remembered that Tygra didn’t know about the genetic treatment they were subjecting Mai’s cub to.

 

“There would be no issues about that. Believe me, a girl would be much better.”

 

Tygra lifted an eyebrow. He was sure that there was something that Ben was not telling him. He wanted to ask what it was, but Jareid arrived at that moment and Bengali left. Tygra toyed with the idea of asking his mate if he knew something about Mai’s cub, but Jareid was already annoyed and cursing the ineptitude of a number of cats. Tygra decided to leave it for a more proper occasion.

 

&&&&&&&

 

As soon as the twins were a month and a week old, Jareid moved the bassinet back to the nursery. There had been no further problems with either of them, and they were going to be close by. Tygra didn’t feel so anxious any more and could tolerate to be apart from his cubs for the entire night. Besides, Snarf had taken to sleep with them in the bassinet, so they were not alone.

 

Tygra gave them a bath with Saixa’s help, and gave them their milk. Once they were dried and fed, he put them in the bigger bassinet, the one that was intended for the three cubs. It was more spacious, but the twins still cuddled together, occupying a relatively small space. There was plenty of room at their feet for Snarf to curl and make them company.

 

Tygra looked at his sons pensively. Saixa had already left and he had turned on the baby monitor, so he could listen to whatever sound they made. The twins had not grown much, and still slept most of the day, but they were starting to move more. Well, Akbal was. Tygra caressed his blond cub’s head. Itzamma-Kim was such a quiet cub; he barely made any noise at all. The only time he had actually cried had been when Ben had attempted to feed him. He wouldn’t flail his extremities around, or turn his head, trying to see more and turn over, like Akbal was doing. Tygra was worried. Itzamma’s health was perfectly good, but his lack of physical activity was starting to flash red lights in the tiger’s head.

 

Ben had told him that every cub was different and that it was perfectly normal if the twins weren’t doing the same things, or developing at the same pace, but Tygra couldn’t stop thinking that maybe there was something else that Itzamma needed and he couldn’t phantom what it was.

 

He sighed and kissed his two sons tenderly. He would have to pay more attention to what Itzamma did, and look out for ways to stimulate him to do more. Ben could say that his cub should advance on his own, but he didn’t like to see Itzamma so passive.

 

Jareid entered the nursery and hugged his tiger from behind, kissing the side of his head. Tygra groaned, but leaned onto his mate’s body easily.

 

“Everything’s in order?”

 

“I suppose so.”

 

Tygra gave one last longing stare to his cubs before Jareid pulled him to the door.

 

“They’d be fine. You’d be able to listen to them the entire time. Come.”

 

“I’d be able to listen to Akbal, but not Itzamma.”

 

“Don’t worry too much. Ben says that both of them are fine, besides, the pet is going to take care of them.”

 

Tygra huffed. It amused him the fact that Jareid trusted Snarf to guard the twins more than he trusted Saixa. Oh, he knew that Snarf was very smart. The little creature had taken care of Lion-O when he had been a newborn cub, and knew when and how to call for assistance if necessary. But he still was only a pet. Tygra had only accepted him to stay in the nursery as cub-guardian, instead of an adult cat, when Jareid had pointed out that the pet was more loyal than anyone they could think of. There shouldn’t be any problems.

 

Jareid dragged his reticent mate towards their bedroom. Tygra’s wound was already healed, and with the cubs sleeping in the nursery, there’d be no danger to disturb them. Jareid was not going to wait another minute to thoroughly claim his mate all over again.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra’s birthday was mostly uneventful. This year he received some gifts from his fellow hunters, and many tokens of congratulations from the noble families. Jareid snarled at the evident attempt to adulation on the nobles’ part, but Tygra accepted everything. It won’t do to antagonize the noble families, at least not until he had a better grasp on the power dynamics.

 

The family had a small party again to celebrate, though there seemed to be more attention directed to the twins than anything else. Tygra was fine with it. As long as his cubs were on sight, he didn’t mind them being passed around.

 

Akbal was awake for the entire meeting, and everyone commented on his gorgeous eyes. The cub smiled widely, and tried to grab anything that moved close to him. Itzamma slept through most of the gathering, and when he opened his eyes it was only to stare intently at whomever happened to be holding him at the moment. He didn’t make any fuss if he changed arms, and just remained quiet and passive. Xilara frowned at his behaviour and asked if that was normal. She as well as Tygra was of the opinion that cubs should make more noise and move a lot more than Itzamma was doing. Ben, however, continued reassuring them that Itzamma was fine, and there was nothing wrong with his behaviour. Yet. Tygra was starting to think that Ben knew something was wrong, but wouldn’t tell them.

 

Baal also frowned a bit. He remembered Jareid doing the triple noise than Akbal and turning around in his crib, in serious danger to turn it over. Not that he wanted a repeat performance from any of his grandsons, but still, Itzamma was extremely quiet for his peace of mind. However, he didn’t press the issue. Bengali seemed sure that the cub was fine, and Xiar hadn’t noticed anything actually wrong from the health charts. Until Itzamma failed to do something crucial for his development, Baal would keep quiet. Besides, he didn’t want to put more pressure on the tiger. Mai’s cub was to be born in three or four days, and Tygra was stressed enough because of it.

 

The small event ended rather early. Tygra carried his cubs back to the nursery. Xilara accompanied him, so they could give the little rascals a bath.

 

He had wanted to ask for Saixa’s assistance. The jaguaress had been an increasingly present figure in the nursery. Jareid still growled at the idea of her becoming a constant presence in his cub’s lives, but Tygra had reasoned that he wasn’t going to have enough time to see over three cubs. Besides, as intelligent as Snarf was, he was no substitute for an adult’s care. He was going to return to the hunters eventually. His body was ridding itself from strange female hormones at last, and he was starting to feel restless again. He wanted to return to his normal activities. That didn’t mean that he would just abandon his cubs into anyone’s care. He trusted Saixa enough to leave her in some kind of governess capacity while he was away. He was just waiting to see how well his sons adapted to their new sibling, and if the three cubs accepted Saixa’s presence without problem, then Tygra would return to training. He had already decided that he will only leave his cubs under Saixa and Ben’s supervision. He trusted no one else to take good care of his sons, not even Cheetara, seeing that she already had Lion-O to look after.

 

Saixa of course was delighted with the idea. Jareid grumbled unhappily at the need of a sitter, or a governess, for his cubs, but he accepted because Tygra couldn’t remain just sitting in their rooms doing nothing but seeing to their cubs’ needs. The tiger had already endured a very long time away from the activity that he loved so much. He loved his cubs, but he shouldn’t have to renounce to every other aspect of his life to slave for them. That would be detrimental in the long run.

 

Tygra had approached Saixa when he had been ready to go, so they could walk to the nursery together. However, Xilara had heard him when he had asked the courtesan for her help, and had offered to assist him instead. Tygra had been shocked for a moment, but he had caught on quickly on Xilara’s looks towards Akbal, and had accepted the queen’s offer. Xilara took his black cub in arms, and they walked to the nursery in companionable silence.

 

They took care of Itzamma first, because he was easier to handle. Tygra thought that his first-born was capable to sleep through the bath without problem. Itzamma barely opened his eyes as he was partially submerged in warm water and scrubbed gently. He soon was dried and in a clean nappy again, lying comfortably in the bassinet.

 

Akbal was the opposite. The cub was happy to be freed of his clothes and nappy, but as soon as his bottom touched the warm water he started to wail and wriggle like mad. Tygra always panicked. It was because of Akbal that he asked for help when he wanted to bath the twins. His black cub cried and moved so much. Tygra had to have a firm hold on him to prevent Akbal from slipping away from his hands, but he was afraid to hurt his cub if he grasped too hard.

 

Fortunately, Xilara had more experience, and she could handle the cub without problems. Tygra was amazed at the apparent ease with which the queen quickly bathed Akbal and soothed him afterwards. He expressed his admiration for her skill as he gave his cub a bottle of milk. Xilara chuckled at his praise, and waved her hand in dismissal.

 

“It’s nothing extraordinary. You’d be honing your parental skills as time goes by. Soon you’d have both of them in the tub at the same time, maybe even the three.”

 

“Oh, I hardly think so. I, as every other male I think, grew up convinced that females have their own special way to handle cubs. I could never be that skilled.”

 

“Of course you can. It’s all a matter of practice. Even Jareid could if he wanted to put himself to the task!”

 

Tygra had a moment visualizing Jareid trying to bath Akbal, and shook his head almost in horror. The jaguar prince could handle Itzamma without problems, but Tygra wouldn’t trust him with Akbal, who was much more active and noisier. He didn’t believe that Jareid would have the patience required to tend to a cub that would not behave according to his wishes.

 

“I don’t think I would like to try that particular theory any time soon.”

 

Xilara chuckled again gently. New parents were mostly terrified of everything that could go wrong with their cubs. Including what would happen if they failed at being perfect in every aspect regarding raising the little ones. She put a hand on the young tiger’s shoulder and smiled reassuringly.

 

“Both of you are going to do a wonderful job. I know that you are wary of Jareid’s temper, but you should have seen him when Yeana was born. He was so fascinated, and treated her with so much care.”

 

She looked longingly as Tygra finished giving Akbal his milk and proceeded to burp him. The tiger was too young to be a parent. She could almost picture Jareid holding a newborn Yeana. The jaguar prince had been Tygra’s age then. She sighed in remembrance and caressed Akbal’s little head longingly.

 

“He is such a good big brother. I should have given him another sibling sooner. He was practically a month from seventeen when Yeana was born.”

 

Tygra was pensive at that. He couldn’t phantom what would be like to grown up an only child, especially one with Jareid’s temper. Yeana had been too late to be any kind of true companion. She could hardly have interfered with how Jareid related to others. She was too young to be seen as an equal. Suddenly Tygra explained himself the fact that Jareid had latched on to Bengali’s friendship so tenaciously. Ben had been the only cat to treat him without the deference that everyone else gave to him, and his own age. If Ben could have arrived when both had been younger, he could have been like a surrogated sibling. Tygra suspected that that was the way Jareid saw the older tiger, deep inside. It could have done the jaguar good to have a real brother. Someone close to his age that could have been considered an equal. The question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

 

“Why didn’t you?”

 

He blushed almost instantly in embarrassment. That had sounded like a complaint.

 

“I-I’m sorry. Forgive me, it’s not my place…” Xilara stopped him before he could finish the apology.

 

“It’s ok. It’s not as if it is a huge secret. I’m actually impressed that you haven’t heard about it by now.”

 

Tygra thought that it was because he had no real interest in either mingle with the court, or listen to the nobles’ gossip. He had had enough with everything that he had been forced to hear about Jareid, and that had been because the courtesans had made a point of talking about the prince’s scandals as soon as they spotted Tygra around. But he only shrugged noncommittally and let Xilara explain if she wanted to. The queen however, caressed Akbal’s mane and ears again, staring longingly at his black coat for a moment. Then she sighed, and waited until Tygra laid the little cub in the bassinet at his twin’s side. She was surprised when Tygra lifted Itzamma-Kim again, and suddenly remembered that the yellow cub had not eaten yet. She watched in bewilderment as Tygra grabbed a second bottle to feed his first-born, who latched at the tit and sucked hungrily.

 

“Why didn’t you feed Itzamma first? He didn’t cry, but he stayed awake for it.”

 

“Oh, well.” Tygra looked at his cub and smiled. “He won’t eat if Akbal has not. I have tried to give him the bottle first while Saixa bathes Akbal, but he refuses it. I don’t know how he knows that his brother hasn’t eaten, but he only accepts the milk once Akbal is finished, or when Jareid and I both are feeding them at the same time.”

 

“Oh, my.” Xilara looked at the blond cub in wonder. Itzamma had his eyes open and was looking directly at Tygra while he sucked. It was perfectly normal, but Xilara looked at the clear blue eyes of her grandson, like two tiny pieces of sky, and thought that they were more intense and intelligent than they should. She scowled, wondering for a moment how in hell she knew how much intelligence a cub’s eyes should show in the first place. She shook her head to ride herself of crazy ideas and waited for Tygra to finish feeding Itzamma.

 

Once the two cubs were cuddled together in the bassinet with Snarf watching over them, Xilara took the young cat’s arm and guided him to sit on the chairs that were close to the window. Tygra didn’t protest, and looked at her expectantly when they were seated. Xilara sighed a couple of times, collecting her courage to talk about very painful memories. She had confided her sorrow to only one cat once, and it had turned out terribly wrong. But Tygra was Jareid’s mate and no one was challenging her for the right to the title of queen anymore. Besides, Tygra had to be aware of the jaguars’ beliefs and ideals. He would need it to make a good part on his role as Jareid’s mate, and to protect his cubs, Akbal most prominently.

 

“Surely you have noticed that there are not many black jaguars in the court, or in the city. Ages ago, it was believed that black cubs were a bad omen for the family. Black jaguars were killed as newborns. They were believed to have a hunger for violence unparalleled amongst the cats. They are supposedly the reason why jaguars in general were once considered heartless assassins. Mum-Ra had only black jaguars as his personal torturers.”

 

Tygra scowled and couldn’t help interrupting. “Who?”

 

“Mum-Ra. The creature that the first Lion king defeated to free all the animal species. We all used to be at his service. Have you not heard the legend?”

 

Tygra made some memory. History lessons had never been so attractive to him as politics, even when they set the background for so many things. “I have. But it’s so hard to distinguish what in the legend could be actual facts and what fantasy, that I think my mind just has diminished the whole bunch to be a myth.”

 

“I’ll talk with your tutor to correct that. You can’t be ignorant of our origins. Anyway, as I was saying, black jaguars were feared for generations. There was the belief that the cubs were actually capable to murder their families in a fit of rage. Something really absurd if you ask me. There were some cats that rebelled against such beliefs, and let their black cubs live, but most ended up either abandoning them, or leaving Ix-Maal altogether. It wasn’t until King Ma’bak that things changed. He travelled along Third Earth since he was very young, and mingled with a huge variety of animals. He learned about other races’ beliefs and different ways of life. He even spent some time in Thundera, learning about the rest of the cats’ clans. He came in contact with many black cats. The black leopards called his attention the most because of what he had been taught. He discovered some black jaguars too, who had been living in Thundera for generations. He was surprised to realize that they weren’t really any different from the rest of the cats.

 

‘When he took the crown, fortune wanted that he procreated a black cub from one of his consorts. Instead of killing him like it was used to, he ordered that no one bothered him. He protected his son, and revoked every law that had something written against black jaguars. When he died, the nobles expected that his heir would ‘listen to reason’ and undid what his father had done. But king Iñaky had grown up loving his little brother and couldn’t see any fault in the colour of his coat. Axayacatl had a very gentle character, and his family, and the few cats that knew him, couldn’t help but laugh at the stories of violence and destruction that black jaguars were supposedly apt to perpetrate. King Iñaky declared that his brother was incapable to hurt a soul and wouldn’t hear anymore on the matter.

 

‘Since then, black jaguars had been progressively more accepted amongst the clan, but still the stigma persist in the leading class, especially for the king. The oldest families believe that a black king would turn against his own clan and lead us to destruction. It is maybe an irrational fear, but it is deeply rooted in the clan’s collective mind. Not even our exposure to other species, and acceptance of different beliefs had managed to open our own perspective on this. Though black jaguars are more accepted nowadays, it is still hard for them to be seen in the palace. There are few in the court, and none in the council. They are accepted as part of our forces, but have to work twice as hard to get to the higher ranks. That has changed a bit since Baal chose me to be his official mate.”

 

She paused a moment to smile in remembrance at the shock on her family’s faces. She even gave a small chuckle.

 

“Oh, you should have seen the outrage. I think Baal’s father was apoplectic!”

 

Tygra smiled. He knew how hard was to change an entire clan’s beliefs. He was witnessing some of it with the technology debacle in Thundera that had Lion-O so upset over. Xilara continued.

 

“But Baal loved me. And he was angry because everyone kept urging him to stop fooling around with me and find a real mate. Even my family told him to focus on finding a proper queen, instead of wasting his time in my company. He had wanted to shut everyone’s mouths and teach them a lesson. He was perfectly capable to choose any cat he wanted for a mate, and no one else had any say in who he wanted, or when he decided to mate. You could say that he had a tantrum, and went and proposed to me just to spite the entire court.”

 

Tygra gulped. That didn’t sound like love to him. It had been as Xilara had said, a tantrum. Tygra believed that he now understood better why Jareid was allowed so much in the court.

 

“Of course everyone tried to dissuade him. I tried to reason with him and made him see that he was acting without thinking. That he wasn’t even sure if he loved me as much as wanting me as a mate. But of course the more everyone told him to reconsider, and to think things carefully, the more stubborn he became. His father even told him that he would accept his decision, but he wanted to be convinced that mating me was in fact what Baal wanted, and that he was not doing it only to prove that he could impose his will on the rest of the world. Baal spent a year courting me, and having eyes only for me, and generally convincing the world that he was madly in love with me. I think that he actually convinced himself of that fact. Seeing that his son was not going to cave, Baal-Or finally accepted the mating, and the court had to shut up about it.”

 

“It must have been difficult.”

 

“It was. But to tell you the truth, I was just too pleased that the stuck up elders had to swallow their words, and accept me as queen instead of one of the ‘most deserving’ girls who had always slighted me, that I didn’t care much that Baal didn’t love me as much as he wanted everyone to believe. At that time all I wanted was to rub in their faces that I was the queen, despite their petty prejudices, and that they had to do as I said. After a while, I realized how much hard work being a queen entails, and every little problem that I would be expected to solve, and it hit into me the fact that I would have to fight everyday to make others help me. I was overwhelmed. I was a step from telling Baal that I wanted out of it, that I wasn’t strong enough to endure the perpetual fight that it was going to be. But my pride won at the end, and I refused to concede that they had been right after all, and that I wasn’t fit to rule at Baal’s side. I stayed, and the court eventually accepted it and most of the pressure loosened. We were getting along fairly well, until the need for an heir became imperative.”

 

Tygra smiled ruefully. The need for a suitable heir had always haunted the nobles’ families, and the royal one the most.

 

“Baal could not have a black jaguar as heir. It would have been disastrous. Not only for the court, but for the population in general. The stigma of the black cat is still too ingrained in our beliefs for the people to accept a black jaguar as king. They are too afraid of it, like the mere possibility of it happening will doom us all. My being queen managed to get the younger generation more open minded, but they still would balk at the mention of a black king. Maybe we would be more accepting in a few years, once we accept that we have an irrational fear of something that has never proved to be true. We are just not at the right point yet. And we certainly weren’t some years ago. King Baal-Or died without knowing any grandchildren. He had had many consorts, and ten children of his own, but disease and a war with the monkeys took most of them. His younger son, Telonius, tried to kill Baal the day we mated. Baal killed him instead, and became the only survivor of Baal-Or’s progeny. The only one who could give the clan an heir.

 

‘Before he died, Baal-Or made Baal promise that he was not going to have a black jaguar as heir. He believed that his line had been cursed because one of his ancestors let the trait of the black colouring into it. In his old age, he had convinced himself that this hypothetic curse had been the reason for the loss of almost his entire family. Baal made the promise to pacify him, but Baal-Or wanted to make sure that his son was going to fulfil that promise, and made the High Shaman responsible to see it through. Xiar has never taken a promise lightly. So, Baal-Or died, and some time later I became pregnant. There was only one way to ensure that the cub wouldn’t be black, and that was a genetic intervention.”

 

“How’s that?”

 

“They manipulate the genetic code, so the cub would only show the desired characters.”

 

Tygra gaped at her.

 

“You… They can do that?”

 

Xilara smiled at his surprise. It was refreshing to find someone that still saw biotechnology as some kind of miracle.

 

“Yes, they can. It’s a complicated treatment, and it’s not used regularly because it _is_ dangerous. But in my case, it was considered necessary. Xiar wanted to be sure that the genes of the cub will only be for yellow-brown coat, but that was very difficult, as Baal also has black coat genes in his line. It was easier to inhibit the black gene in such a way that it won’t express, even if it were present.”

 

Tygra was dumbfounded. He couldn’t believe that someone would go to such extents to change nature. It was just… not done. There was something seriously wrong with the jaguars. He was no longer surprised that Jareid had such violent tendencies. He had been taught, practically from the womb, that he didn’t have to respect the natural laws, of course he would learn to not respect anything else either. He got that biotechnology was something marvellous, and it could heal many ailments, but it was scary, and so many things could go wrong.

 

He tried to hide his discomfiture and nodded to Xilara to signal that he understood. She continued.

 

“Regrettably, the intervention is very invasive, and my body reacted aversively. Black jaguars are more sensitive to biotechnology treatments. We don’t take them well. In many cases they can provoke severe allergic reactions. So, a genetic intervention targeting the black coat gene was very aggressive for me, and no one knew how the foetus would react. The stress was too much and I miscarriage. It was the first of several. Either my body couldn’t tolerate the intervention, or the foetus died as soon as the cells that would develop into the fur began to differentiate. It was very hard for me.”

 

She sighed and took a moment to compose herself. It was very difficult to remember that time. Tygra felt for her. He knew how hard it was to lose a cub.

 

“Why did you continue?”

 

“We needed an heir. But after the fourth try, Xiar suggested to Baal that Kamile could have the first cub. She was his consort at the time, and I considered her a good friend. If she had the heir, then I could forget the treatment and have luck decide the colour of my cubs. I even talked to Kamile, and confessed to her how hard it had been to try for a cub, knowing that it would have little chance to actually born. She told me not to worry. She’d accept to have the heir, and then I could give Baal another cub. I believed we had solved the problem.”

 

She sighed and gave a rueful smile.

 

“But when she talked about it with Baal, she proposed that we change places. As she was going to be the one to give him an heir, she thought that she should be the one to have the title of queen. She even told him that I was afraid to have more cubs, and that I probably wouldn’t be any good, even as a consort. Baal didn’t like the way she was trying to take my place, besides, he is a prideful cat, and would never give anyone an excuse to say that he had been mistaken at anything. So, he had me try the pregnancy one more time. When it didn’t take again, he accepted to try with Kamile, but he made it clear that we were not changing places. Kamile wasn’t happy with his denial. She tried to press, and refused to get pregnant if she was not the queen. After all, it was not proper that the heir was born from a consort. The queen should be the heir’s mother. Baal took her refusal as willingness to give me another chance, and he practically begged me to try again.”

 

Tygra pressed his lips and was trying hard to not growl. His own situation came to mind. He could not believe that Baal would force his mate to try a pregnancy again after five miscarriages. He recognized painfully that Claudus had done much the same thing to his and Lion-O’s mother, except for the consort part. Xilara breathed deeply to try to relax a bit and continued.

 

“So, I did it again. This time, Xiar insisted that I stay in the shamans’ wing, so he could monitor me continually. Until then, I had been allowed to stay in my rooms, and Kamile had helped me, but I was mad with both her and Baal, and decided to follow Xiar’s advice. I fared a little better under the shamans’ care. It was still a very difficult pregnancy. Jareid had to be borne two months earlier in fact. He had to be put in the incubator, and I couldn’t see him until a week later. He was so cute and small. I felt much better having him in my arms finally. But I wasn’t at my best, and Kamile helped to take care of him. For two months I spent the majority of the time in bed. I fed Jareid for the first month, but after that, I was told to not force myself. I was not producing enough milk to satisfy my cub, and Kamile was taking over that task. I wasn’t completely comfortable, but I thought it was the best for Jareid. I haven’t forgotten how my ‘friend’ had tried to push me to the side and have the crown for herself. But we made peace for stability’s sake and for our cub.

 

‘That was until the day Jareid fell very sick. He had a high fever and threw up almost as soon as he finished eating. Xiar was very worried. Jareid’s symptoms made him think that the cub had been poisoned, but he could never prove it, so he went with the diagnostic of an allergic reaction. Jareid survived miraculously, and I didn’t let Kamile to care for him any longer. I didn’t trust her. She was very angry. She started to say that Jareid should have been hers.

 

‘Baal had to intervene, and threatened to reject her as a consort. She calmed down after that, but we were never friends again.”

 

Tygra sighed. “I can’t understand how could you keep living with her.”

 

“Well, she was Baal’s consort. We had grown up together, and I thought I knew her well. Baal chose her to appease the council and for me to have a friend around. He thought we would get along well. I had been under that same impression too.”

 

Tygra shook his head. Female courtesans didn’t make the best of friends. He had heard enough gossip in Thundera to learn to never confide anything to one of them. Saixa was weird in that aspect, and Tygra was still a bit wary of her, but he wouldn’t put her in the same box as the other females.

 

“So, what happened with her? I assume she’s the reason why Jareid is so against allowing a consort into our lives.”

 

“You could say that. Things didn’t end up well. Baal started to avoid her, and I got pregnant again just a month before Jareid was a year old. She was jealous. I tried to make peace with her, so things in the palace wouldn’t be so strained. I started to convince myself that she was a good person, and that everything that had happened had been just a big misunderstanding. I accepted her help again with the new pregnancy, as I shouldn’t have had any more problems with it. However, Xiar assigned one of the female shamans to check on me, because I was still very weak. My body had not managed to regain health at 100% and Xiar would have preferred for me to not get pregnant at all for at least another year. But it couldn’t be helped, and Desireé was put in charge of checking on me during the evening and night.”

 

She grew sombre and her eyes took a far away look.

 

“She was the one that discovered Kamile doctoring my drink with something. She didn’t confront her at the moment. She first asked Xiar if I should be taking additional medicine or nutrients. When Xiar told her that everything that I consumed, should be provided only by himself, she told him about Kamile. Xiar started to run tests on me, and finally found out the toxin I had been ingesting. Kamile was arrested and interrogated, and I was put on observation.

 

‘It turned out that she had been using a mild poison on me from the first time I had been pregnant. It had been part of the reason why my body hadn’t been able to carry a pregnancy to term. I had been able to give birth to Jareid because I had been away from her, and she couldn’t slip me the poison during that time. However, there had been enough toxins in my body to make the pregnancy more difficult than it had to be, and to force my body into labour well before time. It was also the reason why I couldn’t make a full recovery. This last time I hadn’t the strain of the genetic treatment anymore, so my body didn’t give up in the first two months and she continued to feed me the poison. She was discovered when I was four months along, and Xiar tried to do something to clean my system of the toxin. However, it had affected my cub. No one realized until I entered labour at six months. My cub was born. It was a black cub, and he was so perfect. But his heart had been damaged. It couldn’t work properly, and he died after two days.”

 

Her eyes watered and a few tears escaped. Tygra moved and sat beside her. He put an arm around her shoulders and a hand covering hers, hoping to offer her some comfort. He couldn’t imagine what he would have done if Itzamma had died. He was sure that he would have been destroyed. He didn’t blame Xilara for not wanting any more cubs. He was in fact amazed that she had had Yeana, even after many years had passed.

 

“I didn’t want to try having any more cubs. I didn’t dare. Xiar said that it would take a while for my body to be rid of the toxin. I had been ingesting it for almost eight years! Jareid had to be treated too, and they made every test they could think of. They checked everything. There was no apparent damage, but we would never be sure about how much the toxin could have influenced him.”

 

“It was understandable that you wouldn’t want any more cubs. I imagine that Baal didn’t press either.”

 

“No. He was so angry. He became overprotective and wouldn’t let anyone disturb Jareid in any way. I think that was what backfired on him, and everyone of us, soon enough.”

 

Tygra groaned, but he really couldn’t fault Baal. If someone had been that close to kill one of his own cubs he would have lost it. Overprotectiveness would have been the least of the problems.

 

Xilara smiled ruefully again.

 

“Bengali was a blessing. After I saw that Jareid could accept company, I decided to try again for another cub. However, it took almost six more years for me to get pregnant with Yeana. Jareid was delighted, but it would never be the same. He was very close to being considered an adult. The time to play with siblings had passed for him.”

 

A few minutes of silence went by, and then Tygra grunted.

 

“I suppose he blames Xiar because he believes that the High Shaman should have been able to magically solve the problem, or find out what was wrong sooner. And he surely is angry with the rest of the court for believing in some stupid idea that caused the conflict in the first place.”

 

Xilara chuckled quietly.

 

“You know him too well already.”

 

She straightened and pulled on him to look to his face.

 

“You have been good to him. I don’t know how he would have ended up if not for you.”

 

Tygra blushed again. He still thought that everyone was exaggerating. How much influence could his presence have on Jareid? It was absurd to think that the jaguar had changed so much only because of him.

 

“I’m sure he would have been a good king. He looks up to you too much not to.”

 

“Perhaps. But many cats had been too worried about it.”

 

Tygra huffed in annoyance and tried to think about something else. His eyes roamed back to the crib, and he thought about Akbal. He scowled as an idea appeared in his mind.

 

“They didn’t try that shit of genetic treatment with me, did they? I don’t think so, because Akbal wouldn’t be here if they did. I hope?”

 

“Well, they don’t have any experience trying to manipulate tiger’s genes. And they already had their hands full trying to get you pregnant. Xiar didn’t want to move anything that wasn’t necessary, as he didn’t know how your body or your genes would react. There was no time to experiment either. I think he was also counting on the fact that there had not been any black tigers around. Besides, he gave the full responsibility for creating the embryos to Bengali. He forgot that Ben doesn’t have the same prejudices as us, and thus the colouring of the cubs would have been the less of his worries while he had been preparing the cells.”

 

Tygra breathed in relief. He had found one more reason to be grateful that his friend had been the one to aid with the procedure. He thought that he might support Jareid in his demand that no one but Bengali was in charge of his family’s health. With what he had learned, he thought that any other would try to peg anything wrong with Akbal’s behaviour to his black colour. Ben was going to be neutral on that aspect. The white tiger surely thought that every cat had the possibility of being as vicious and violent as Jareid, or more. The colour of the fur had nothing to do with it.

 

“You know, one would think that Jareid’s existence alone would have disabused anyone of the idea that there are nothing more violent than a black jaguar.”

 

Xilara let escape a short laugh.

 

“Oh, I wish Baal-Or would have lived to see him, if only because of that!”

 

Tygra smiled with her. His eyes looked towards the crib again.

 

“I suppose that once I present my cubs to the council, the protests are going to be loud.”

 

“It would have been worse if Akbal had been born first. As it is, the fact that Itzamma-Kim is your heir would quiet most of the outrage. Though you should be aware that Itzamma is in danger to be as spoiled as Jareid was. The court would want to protect him as much as possible, and they are going to act with him as they did with Jareid. Many would try to get him apart from his brother too.”

 

Tygra groaned. He was not going to allow any spoiling, or bad influence on his cubs. He didn’t want Itzamma to grown up thinking that he would be spared the consequences of his actions. He also won’t have the jaguars filling his cub’s head with ridiculous ideas. He was going to make sure that Itzamma would always love his brother. He was not going to let the prejudiced court to make a drift between his twins.

 

They talked for some time, until Jareid arrived with dinner for his mate. Xilara left them to eat and tend to their cubs before going to bed. It had been a long day, and Jareid was looking at Tygra like he still had a long night planned.

 

 


	22. New Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

Two more days passed and Tygra was getting nervous. Mai was due to enter labour any time now, and she was not making things any easier. She wanted Jareid at her side, and had threatened with harming herself and the cub she was carrying if she couldn’t see her prince. Jareid had sworn that as soon as the cub was born he was going to strangle her. The cub’s safety was the only thing preventing him from killing her as it was. If Tygra hadn’t made clear that he wanted the cub unharmed, and suffering as less as possible, Jareid would have forced the blasted female to give birth himself. At the very least he would have cut her open and got the cub out by then.

 

Xiar and Bengali were also very stressed. Mai would turn what should have been a normal birth into a high-risk emergency. There was no way to force her to calm down without risking the cub’s health. Everyone wanted the cub born already, so they could get rid of the mother.

 

Tygra was only slightly aware of the problems that Mai had been causing the shamans. He was mostly getting anxious over his own possible reaction to the new cub. He was not a female, and his hormones were back to normal and stabilizing. He would be able to smell Mai in the cub and his instinct was not going to recognize it as his. He knew that he was not going to be as attached to the third cub as he was to the twins. Bonding would be difficult, and he was not sure that the device that the Shamans had provided Mai with was going to be any help. The cub was going to be confused, and what would happen if it didn’t recognize his voice or heart beating? He imagined that it was quite different to listen a heartbeat from outside the womb than the constant one of a mother. Besides, Mai could have neglected to use the recorder, and then the cub wouldn’t have any reference to identify Tygra as any other than a stranger, and consequently a threat.

 

The possibility that the cub wouldn’t bond with him worried Tygra immensely. He had fought to save this cub. He had technically begged to be allowed to raise it and give it a family. He didn’t want to treat this cub any different than his twins. He would care for all three cubs in the same way, even if he had to push his instinct down. He swore that this cub was going to be as much his child as the twins were. Now, if only he could be sure that he would feel that way when the cub would be actually in his arms, he would feel much better.

 

Another thing contributing to his anxiousness was thinking about the nobles’ reactions. He had been sequestered in the rooms for a long time, and had not cared to listen to any gossip that could be around in the palace, but now he was starting to think that he should be aware of it. Since his talk with Xilara, he had realized that the oldest families had much influence in the leadership of the clan, and they could make trouble for him or his cubs. He would have to deal with them, Jareid was not going to rule alone, he was his mate, and he had duties and a role to fulfil. His cubs would also be exposed, and needed to learn how to deal with the court and the expectations that would be placed on them.

 

Tygra feared the moment that they’d present the cubs officially before the council. In his mind there was no way that the jaguar nobles wouldn’t see that his twins were very different from Mai’s cub. They would realize at once that the youngest cub was pure jaguar, and they would see him more fit to be the heir. Even when the law established that the first-born was to hold the title, they would disagree.

 

And they would make it evident. They’d press for it until the cubs would get dragged in the conflict. He had lived through much the same situation in Thundera not to know how it would end. Tygra didn’t want his cubs to feel pressured to compete with each other. None of them should be forced to show his worth to anyone. He wasn’t going to allow Itzamma to be slighted the way Lion-O had been. He would not have a repeat performance of his brother’s life in Thundera’s court. He would protect his cubs from that fate. All three of them.

 

He found himself begging that Mai’s cub was a female. A female didn’t have any right to hold the title of heir. Nor to the head of the clan. It would save them some of the problems, though there would always be some nobles that would wish for the female to have been born a male, and that would show their disappointment clearly.

 

Tygra was worrying over all of this, and some other possible problems that kept popping in his head, as he dressed Akbal in a sleeping suit. It was raining and the temperature had dropped a bit. Akbal made funny noises of protest and squirmed in his hands. His little black cub didn’t like to be covered. Tygra succeeded however, and picked Akbal up, cradling him lovingly against his chest. Akbal yawned, and his tiny hand fisted on his dad’s shirt. Tygra kissed his son’s head and hummed a lullaby to make him sleep. After a while, he finally laid his cub in the bassinet. Then he realized that Jareid had been extremely quiet.

 

He had been so preoccupied with his own thoughts, that he had lost track of his surroundings. His mate was supposed to give Itzamma his milk and dress him for the night. Tygra didn’t expect to hear Itzamma, but Jareid commonly talked, and made all kind of noises while tending to the cubs. The tiger looked around the nursery and scowled. He hadn’t noticed the moment when Jareid had taken out a mat, and had extended it on the middle of the floor. The jaguar prince was lying on it, face down, and supporting his upper half on his elbows. Itzamma was under him, lying on his back, in such a way that father and son were staring directly into each other’s eyes.

 

Tygra blinked and tried to comprehend what was happening. Both the jaguar and the cub were completely still, and Jareid had a look of utter concentration on his face. Tygra couldn’t believe it.

 

“What are you doing?” He demanded. Jareid didn’t move from his position.

 

“Sht! Don’t distract him!”

 

Tygra gaped. He was about to go and retrieve Itzamma, when his cub suddenly yawned and closed his eyes as consequence. Jareid did a small gesture of triumph.

 

“Yeah! I win!”

 

“Jareid, tell me that you were not engaging on a staring contest with our cub!”

 

“Oh, come on Tygra! He loves it!”

 

“Are you insane?! Give me back my cub!”

 

Jareid lifted himself up and carried Itzamma to his dad. Tygra practically snatched his little cub from his very immature mate’s hands, and proceeded to check him over. Itzamma yawned again and tried to cuddle against his dad’s chest, one tiny fist going directly into his mouth. Tygra made sure that his cub was unharmed, and ready for the night, and then went to put him in the bassinet, grumbling about demented princes that made staring contests with little cubs.

 

Jareid went and surrounded Tygra’s waist with his arms in a tight embrace once both cubs were safely in the bassinet. Tygra growled at him in annoyance.

 

“Come on. Don’t be so stuck up. You were blabbering the other day about giving him more attention.”

 

“That’s not what I was referring to! I want him to start moving more, not to stay quiet for hours!”

 

“Calm down. I know you are worried, but there’s nothing wrong with him. He is not falling behind in development; he just doesn’t like to make a big fuzz. Let him advance at his own pace.”

 

“Jareid, this could be serious…”

 

“Come.”

 

Jareid pulled Tygra away from the bassinet, and turned him around so they stood face to face.

 

“You have to stop comparing Itzamma to Akbal. He has nothing wrong Tygra. Maybe he’d take more time to do some things, but that doesn’t mean that he’d be incapacitated! Don’t pressure him. He’ll get to where you want him to be. He’d only take his own time to do it.”

 

Tygra pressed his lips unhappily. He looked towards the bassinet and sighed. Itzamma had been an easy cub, maybe he shouldn’t be complaining about it.

 

“I’ll try. It’s just… I can’t help worrying.”

 

Jareid nibbled his ear and then leaned down, trailing kisses along the tiger’s jaw.

 

“Let’s go to bed. I’m going to make you forget all your worries.”

 

Tygra groaned. He wasn’t in the mood; he was too tense to think about sex. Jareid snaked his hands inside the tiger’s shirt and started dragging him to their own bedroom. Tygra sighed and tried to focus only on Jareid’s touch. His mind was overloaded with worry, and he needed a break. Fortunately, Jareid had always been an expert on making him forget the rest of the world.

 

&&&&&&&

 

As soon as they arrived to the bedroom, Jareid’s hands quickly pulled Tygra’s shirt up and disposed of it. Then, he grabbed the younger cat’s thighs and lifted him effortlessly, aiming for the bed. Tygra grunted when his back hit the mattress and he lifted his hips reflexively when Jareid pulled on his pants. He had a moment of discomfort, thinking that he was far too easy to undress, before Jareid was over him, already without shirt, and attacking his body urgently.

 

Tygra squirmed and gasped as Jareid’s mouth sucked the side of his neck and the jaguar’s hands seemed to be all over his body. Jareid’s mouth went down, fastening on a nipple and sucking, his teeth at times grazing and then biting hard enough to leave a mark. His hands stroked the tiger’s flanks lusciously, gripping a buttock from time to time and playing with them. Tygra had one hand fisting Jareid’s short mane, and the other ripping the sheets. Jareid continued going down, his tongue trailing a path along Tygra’s belly and circling the navel. Tygra pushed his hips up, legs already wide apart and itching to move. Jareid grabbed the hips and pinned them to the mattress. He blew over the tiger’s erection and licked the tip playfully. Tygra moaned and his thighs went over Jareid’s shoulders, opening them wide and crossing his ankles at the jaguar’s back. Jareid licked the length of Tygra’s shaft a few times, then he passed his tongue on the stripped cat’s balls, at the same time he inserted a finger in the tiger’s arse, pushing almost forcefully for entrance.

 

Tygra tried to relax. His abdomen was healed now, but Jareid always left him sore and aching nonetheless. He gasped loudly as Jareid inserted a second finger and found his prostate. The jaguar prince teased his mate with his tongue and fingers for long moments. Tygra was panting and ready to pull on the jaguars’ mane to force him to do more than just lick. Suddenly, Jareid took hold of the tiger’s thighs and pushed them, changing the angle of Tygra’s hips enough to run his tongue along the crack of the tiger’s arse. Tygra whimpered and flushed scarlet red, both his hands fisted on the sheets at his sides and he moaned as Jareid continued licking. This was one of the things that he wasn’t comfortable with. Oh, it felt delicious, no doubt about that, but it was so… wrong… and dirty. Tygra felt mortified, and guilty as hell for feeling pleasure in the act. Jareid’s tongue just felt so good. It licked around his entrance a couple of times, and then went in. Tygra mewled. He didn’t dare protest. Jareid would tie him down and then continue doing it. He closed his eyes tightly and breathed in both relief and disappointment when Jareid moved again to continue teasing his cock and balls.

 

The jaguar’s mouth finally closed on the head of Tygra’s member, and proceeded to shallow it slowly, an inch at a time, sucking on it until it was fully inside his mouth. He sucked two times and then pulled himself up and let Tygra’s erection go. The tiger whined and was about to protest, but Jareid stopped him with a possessive kiss on the mouth. Tygra shuddered and remained pliant under Jareid’s bulk. Too soon, the jaguar broke the kiss.

 

“Turn over.”

 

Tygra made an anguished sound but obeyed. He didn’t like to be taken from behind. It reminded him of the first time Jareid had claimed him. It made him feel helpless, and it was worse when Jareid tied him.

 

Once Tygra was facing down, the older cat took a moment to retrieve the lubricant from one of the drawers. Then he positioned himself between his mate’s open legs. Tygra was shivering. Jareid knew that it was part fear and part anticipation. Tygra didn’t like to be taken from behind, but his body enjoyed it all the same. Jareid wanted his mate to feel good and relaxed, so he put his hands on the tiger’s shoulders and pressed. Tygra gasped, and then moaned as Jareid worked on his tense muscles. The jaguar’s hands went down and up again, massaging and teasing the sore spots on Tygra’s back. He leaned down and kissed the youth’s jaw, the back of the neck, and the shoulder. Tygra’s muscles loosened and he groaned in complete bliss. Jareid smirked, and knelt up. He gave a playful slap to Tygra’s butt, and the tiger jumped.

 

“Hips up Tygra! Keep your head down.” He ordered.

 

Tygra obeyed reluctantly. He feared what Jareid did to him, and felt horrible for wanting it at the same time. He was grateful that no one would ever know of his dilemma. He was going to deal with Jareid alone, and in time he may get to the point where he stopped to be so embarrassed. At the moment though, he had just one pressing concern demanding his entire attention. He gasped and clenched his eyes shut as Jareid’s fingers invaded him. The lubricant made the entrance easier, but Tygra still struggled to accommodate Jareid’s size, so he thanked the gods that the older cat still took the time to prepare him.

 

Jareid’s fingers worked for a few moments, until the jaguar felt that his mate had loosened enough. He pulled his fingers out then, and grabbed Tygra’s hips in a firm hold. He positioned the tip of his erection at the tiger’s entrance and pushed with a hard movement of his hips. Two thrusts, and his length was buried entirely inside his tiger. Tygra cried out in pain and gasped as his inner muscles tightened around the intrusion. The feeling was overwhelming, and Tygra gave a deep breath, getting used to his mate’s shaft inside him. Jareid gave him a minute to compose himself, and then started to move. Back and forth, slowly at first, but acquiring momentum with each thrust. Tygra half moaned, half howled, when Jareid found the right angle to hit his prostate with each penetration. He started to move too, rocking back and forth, in a desperate effort to keep with Jareid’s pace. The jaguar growled in appreciation and increased his rhythm. Tygra’s moans grew louder. He was so close.

 

An acute noise called for his attention through the fog in his mind, and he turned his head to the bedside table. Jareid’s communicator was vibrating and a red light blinked insistently. It was an emergency call. He grunted along with his mate, and both of them tried to ignore the noise. Jareid’s hold on his hips tightened. Just a few more thrusts and the jaguar would be done.

 

Bengali’s voice was heard in the room. Tygra had a second of absolute horror before he realized that it came from the com.

 

“Jareid! Come here immediately! Mai is about to give birth, and we’re having problems with her!”

 

Jareid cursed loudly.

 

“Ben, this is so NOT a good time!” He roared. Under him, Tygra groaned. The tiger released, but was completely side-tracked by the interruption, and utterly frustrated.

 

“I don’t care! I need you here NOW! Both of you! She’s putting the cub’s life in jeopardy, and she knows that she won’t be allowed to keep him or her!”

 

Jareid cursed some more. He stilled all motion and tried to feel something besides absolute anger at the world. He was ready to tell Bengali to fuck up when Baal’s voice replaced the Shaman’s.

 

“Jareid! I don’t care what you’re doing. You leave it this moment and come here to collect your cub! I want it out of her reach as soon as it’s born!”

 

“Goddamnit!”

 

He invented other colourful curses, as he had to pull out from Tygra’s body, completely put out by then. Tygra couldn’t help it. He started to chuckle as he let himself fall on his side. Jareid growled, looking angrily for some clothes.

 

“Talk about bad timing!” Said Tygra between strangled chuckles. Jareid growled at him and slapped his butt.

 

“Ow!”

 

“Get your arse up! He said both of us!”

 

“Coming… Just let me… think straight… Go ahead, I’m behind you.”

 

Jareid shook his head and stalked to the study, still grumbling obscenities.

 

“I’m going to kill the bitch. I’m sure she’s doing it on purpose!”

 

Tygra chuckled some more, and then made an effort to collect himself and find his clothes. He had to go with Jareid. The jaguar prince was murderous, and Tygra couldn’t let him kill anyone, no matter how much they deserved it.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Bengali’s nerves were at breaking point. For the first time in his life he thought he understood what Jareid felt when he was so angry that he just had to beat someone into a bloody pulp. He couldn’t believe what Mai had done. Honestly! If they weren’t already taking the cub away, he would declare her unfit to take care of it. Someone like her shouldn’t be allowed to be a mother!

 

She had started labour about eight hours ago, but she hadn’t told anyone. She had just demanded to see Jareid, and had barricaded herself in the bathroom until he appeared. As she had been doing that frequently for the past month, Jareid had simply had enough and had refused to go get her out. He had had more important things to do than coax a crazy female out of a bathroom.

 

Mai had decided that the universe was against her, and that she was going to give birth to her cub in the bathroom, and stay there until Jareid materialized at her side. Sarai would have happily left her there the entire night, if she hadn’t heard the noise that indicated that the female was actually giving birth. Xiar had forced the door open and they had had to drag Mai outside, kicking and screaming, and already pushing the cub down the birth channel. She had called them all thieves and had demanded her mother to be at her side, claiming that she wasn’t going to allow them to pass her cub as the tiger’s. No one knew how she had gotten the information. They didn’t have time to inquire on it either. They had to concentrate on getting the cub out of her alive.

 

They had had to restrain Mai, and now they were doing everything they could to accelerate the birth. The cub was in pain. The amount of anxiety and adrenaline that Mai was exuding was a hazard for the newborn. The mild sedatives weren’t working efficiently, and the strong ones would make matters worse. They would have performed a caesarean if the cub’s head hadn’t already been practically emerging from the birth channel. Mai was moving as much as she could, doing everything in her power to impede them from doing a good job. Bengali would have cursed her with Shaman magic if he hadn’t been entirely focused on getting the cub out of her.

 

Jareid entered when the cub’s body was starting to emerge. Bengali had a moment of complete irritation at the prince, who couldn’t have bothered to wait outside just a few more minutes. He however wasn’t going to waste time berating the jaguar. The cub’s survival was priority there. Thankfully, Mai stopped her squirming and yelling as soon as she heard Jareid’s angry growl. She apparently was convinced that the prince wouldn’t allow anyone to take her cub away. As soon as Mai relaxed, the cub seemed to slip out the rest of the way, crying loudly.

 

Bengali didn’t lose more time to sever the cord. Then he immediately took the cub to clean and check-up. He barely made sense of Mai’s renewed screams behind him, demanding her cub. She was silenced quickly though. With the cub out of her, there was nothing that prevented Xiar from forcing her magically into sleep. Ben did the check-up round fast. He hastily cleaned the cub’s respiratory tubes and throat, careful to not hurt the little form. Measurements were taken and he permitted himself to sigh in relief upon confirming the sex. When he was sure that the cub had no breathing problems, and that apparently everything was as fine as it could be, at least physically speaking, he wrapped the still crying cub in a blanket and got out of the delivery room in search of the younger tiger.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was speechless. He was faintly aware that he needed to move and do something, but his brain just couldn’t recover from the shock. He couldn’t do anything but stare, gaping, at the cub that had been metaphorically dropped on his lap. A cub that was orange, and stripped, and every bit a tiger cub. His mind was trying to reconcile itself with the impossible fact that he had a tiger cub in his hands, and failing miserably.

 

Eventually he forced his eyes away from the crying cub and looked around in bewilderment. He was alone. Why had Bengali left him alone after giving him the cub? He deserved a bloody explanation damnit! Frustration and anger cleared a bit of the fog in his mind, and he realized that the cub was still crying. He made an effort to move and lifted the cub to rest upright against his chest. He started to rock back and forth, trying to soothe himself as much as the cub.

 

“Shh, little one. It’s ok. No one is going to hurt you.”

 

He mumbled the lullaby that he sang to the twins and patted the little cub’s back comfortingly. It was a girl. His mind had managed to grasp that much before freezing into shock upon seeing her. Bengali had babbled something else, but Tygra couldn’t remember what. Hell, he hadn’t even realized that Bengali had left him alone. Maybe the white tiger had given him some explanation, but he had not been in the best condition to listen.

 

He looked around the room again, suddenly grateful for the solitude. He was not sure of what he would have said to whoever could have been with him, but it would have involved screaming, and probably an argument would have ensued. He didn’t want to scream or fight when he had a little cub in his arms.

 

He hugged the small body more closely, trying to put the tiny head over his heart. The little girl was still sobbing inconsolably, but she seemed to be calming down. Tygra decided to take her to the nursery. He wanted her safe before he went to find Bengali and demand explanations.

 

“Come on little one. You’re going to meet your brothers. I’m sure they’re going to like you. My little Ixchel.”

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Ixchel was a bit larger than the twins. Tygra thought about moving the three of them to the big crib, so they wouldn’t be crowded. First though, he had to tend to his newborn cub. She was calmer, but she wouldn’t stop sobbing, and Tygra feared that she had been hurt somehow. He tried to recall Bengali’s words when he had handed over the little cub, but after a few moments he had to give that up. He couldn’t actually remember Ben saying anything coherent besides ‘ _She is a girl_.’ He berated himself over the fact that he could have missed something important because he had been unable to process the cub’s appearance faster.

 

He carefully manoeuvred the cub into clean nappies and a nightshirt that fit her. He was annoyed to notice that they didn’t really have girl’s clothes. For all the talking and hoping that Mai had a girl, they had only truly prepared everything with boys in mind. Tygra was starting to feel guilty as hell. He promised to himself that he would be more careful from then on, and to pay more attention to all three cubs’ needs. He was not going to neglect any one.

 

He had the opportunity to inspect Ixchel thoroughly. The little girl’s fur was orange except for the white face and belly. She had an incipient black mane on top of her head, barely a few strands, but enough to know that it will be abundant. She was already opening her eyes, which were the same colour as Tygra’s. The only thing she had of a jaguar was a line of broken spots running down her column. Tygra was simply baffled. He wanted an explanation. He had been told that Mai had used one of the pure samples, and she would have known which one was Jareid’s due to the labels. There was no reason for Ixchel to look like him!

 

It took a while for the little girl to fall asleep, she kept whimpering and sobbing every time that Tygra attempted to put her down in the crib. She was very distressed, and Tygra supposed that his own mood wasn’t helping to calm her. Finally, after nearly an hour, Ixchel fell asleep, and Tygra lied her down in the crib. He moved Akbal and Itzamma with her, arranging all three cubs in a row. Snarf jumped to the rail, and after a moment of consideration landed at the foot of the crib. He had more space now, and he purred in contentment while he curled and made himself comfortable.

 

Tygra looked at his three cubs pensively. He still felt deeply shaken. How could this have been? Save for the few strands of black mane and the line of spots, Ixchel could have been a carbon copy of him. Well, maybe not to that extent, she was a girl after all. Maybe he was exaggerating?

 

He didn’t know what to think. He had been fully expecting Mai’s cub to be a pure jaguar, and he had been blindsided pretty bad. Maybe there had been a mistake, and Mai had been stupid enough to pick his sample instead of Jareid’s? It was a long shot, but Tygra’s brain couldn’t come with any other explanation at the moment.

 

He was mulling on it, trying to convince himself that he was worrying over nothing, when Akbal moved and started to wriggle unhappily. Seconds later he mewled, demanding milk. Ixchel woke up and the crying started anew. Akbal joined in, startled to hear another cry so close to himself. Tygra gaped. For a moment he was at a loss about what to do, or which cub to hold first. He outright panicked when Itzamma started to frown and opened his little mouth as if preparing to cry too. He quickly pulled Ixchel out of the crib and managed to hold her on one arm before reaching for Akbal. He awkwardly tried to rock both crying cubs, walking away from the crib, while Snarf promptly soothed Itzamma.

 

Tygra looked around, pinpointing the bottles of milk and hurrying towards the service table before realizing that he couldn’t grab a bottle with both arms full of cubs.

 

“Arrrrg!!! This can’t be happening to me!”

 

He turned towards one of the bassinets and put Akbal down, intending to calm Ixchel a bit first, but Akbal cried louder and arched his back, demanding attention immediately. Tygra changed cubs in desperation, and tried to reach for the bottle while rocking the bassinet with his leg. He was grateful when Snarf climbed into the bassinet and started to groom Ixchel’s head, managing to low down her screams enough for Tygra to focus on Akbal.

 

The tiger tried to give his cub the bottle of milk, but Akbal was too upset and he refused to take it. Tygra was ready to pull out his mane. He didn’t even realize the moment Jareid entered the nursery.

 

“Hey. Everything all right? This looks like some kind of crisis.”

 

Oh, do you think so genius? Tygra growled and the first thing out of his mouth was:

 

“What bloody took you so long?!”

 

Which had the undesired effect of making Akbal scream again, followed closely by a wail from the nearest bassinet. Tygra gritted his teeth and looked upwards, nearly crying too. Jareid went to him and grabbed the nape of his neck. Tygra had a moment of horror, feeling his arms going lax and loosing his hold on Akbal, but Jareid had already caught the cub with an arm and pulled both of them against his own body.

 

“Calm down. Jezz, Ben said you’d be pretty out of sorts, but I thought he was exaggerating.”

 

Tygra growled again. He could still hear Ixchel crying in the background, and Akbal sniffling sadly. Jareid didn’t relent his hold, forcing his mate to take a breath and relax. Tygra eventually made a distressed sound, signalling that he wanted loose.

 

“Are you better?”

 

“She’s crying. And Akbal needs his milk.”

 

“Leave Akbal to me.”

 

Tygra hesitated, but he didn’t have another choice. He picked up the fallen bottle when Jareid let go of him. He changed it for another one, and handed it to his mate before going to the bassinet to get Ixchel out. He paced the room, rocking her gently, while Jareid finished calming Akbal and gave him the bottle.

 

Jareid took care in massaging Akbal’s tummy. His cub hiccupped a few times, and then sobbed in misery. Jareid frowned. He should have called Saixa as soon as they had left for the Shamans’ wing, so Tygra would have had someone to help him while he had discussed things with his father. He gave Akbal some pats on the back, and his cub seemed to settle. He made sure that there were no more hiccups before laying Akbal back in the crib. The little cub turned around, looking for his twin’s heat, and snuggled against Itzamma, falling asleep almost immediately. Itzamma yawned, giving no indication that he had been disturbed by all the excitement around him, and continued sleeping. Jareid smiled indulgently at his sons and then turned around to see if he could help his mate.

 

Tygra was sitting on the rocking chair with the little girl leaning on his chest. He had attempted to give her a bottle, but she had refused it. She was still sobbing and restless, and Tygra was falling asleep. Jareid approached them. He remembered that they had agreed to call the cub Ixchel if it was a girl, and he thought that Tygra had had time to inspect and bond with her. He was just reaching towards the cub, intending to carry her to the crib, when Tygra started and growled at him, turning in such a way that he was hiding the cub from the reaching hands. Jareid grumbled, not liking his mate’s reaction. Tygra’s protective instincts were supposed to be quelled already. He changed targets and grabbed the tiger’s neck to make him relax. After a moment, recognition appeared in Tygra’s eyes, and he abandoned his defensive posture. Ixchel whimpered and made unhappy noises as Tygra reasserted his hold on her. Jareid scowled.

 

“You have to sleep, you are tired.”

 

“I can’t leave her in the crib. She’s gonna cry again. I think she’s scared. She doesn’t really recognize my heartbeat. I don’t know what to do.”

 

Jareid showed his teeth. He grabbed Tygra around the shoulders and under the knees and lifted him from the chair. Tygra yelped and tightened his hold on Ixchel.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“You need to rest. It’d calm her down too, and she will get used to you.”

 

He carried both of them to the master bedroom and deposited them on the bed. Tygra curled on his side, careful to not crush the cub. He felt awkward, but was too tired to protest. He fell asleep as soon as he felt Jareid’s body pressing into him from behind.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Ixchel’s cries waked Tygra up. He looked around, confused for a moment, before focusing on the wailing cub. He sighed. There had been too much crying last night. He had a newfound appreciation for Itzamma’s quietness.

 

He got up and carried Ixchel with him. She needed a change of clothes and milk. He hoped that she accepted the bottle this time. He walked to the nursery, barely noticing that it was well into the morning already and that Jareid was not in bed.

 

Tygra found Saixa in the nursery. She had given Akbal and Itzamma a bath, and she was finishing cleaning. Itzamma was sleeping in the crib, while Akbal was rolling around happily in the ample space that the new sleeping arrangements provided him. Tygra looked lovingly at his two sons, and apologized to Saixa for not being there earlier. The female dismissed his apology with a waving hand, saying that it was no big deal. She would have to take care of the cubs alone more frequently if Tygra was to return to his usual activities. Then she zeroed on the new cub that Tygra was carrying and hurried to hand him a bottle, and a small music box. Tygra lifted an eyebrow in question.

 

“Bengali said that it’s a recording of Mai’s heartbeat. It’d be easier for the cub to calm down. She has been listening to your heartbeat for some hours, with this the probability to consolidate the bond would be stronger.”

 

Tygra smiled in appreciation and turned the music on, putting the box close to Ixchel’s ears. The little girl calmed a little and her eyes opened, looking towards Tygra’s face awkwardly. Tygra changed the box for the bottle of milk, and tried to give it to Ixchel while Saixa held the music box still close to the cub. Ixchel however turned her head around, and wriggled unhappily. Tygra groaned. He was going to lose his mind. What was he going to do if Ixchel wouldn’t bond with him? Saixa looked at the desperate cub attentively, and pointed out that the little girl was trying to latch on Tygra’s nipple.

 

The tiger flushed bright red and tried to hold the bottle between his chin and shoulder, so the angle would be more or less right for Ixchel. He moved the little head accordingly to guide it to the tit. Ixchel bit it awkwardly, didn’t like the position and let it go again. Tygra felt that both of them were going to end up with horrible pain in the neck. Saixa helped him to hold the cub up, and he changed the bottle to his armpit, holding it as firm as he could. Ixchel finally took the tit and sucked, and Tygra wanted to cry in relief.

 

“It’s going to be a pain to feed her like this, every time.”

 

“Don’t worry, you’d find a more comfortable position. She’s going to get used to the tit, and would accept it more easily.”

 

“I hope so. She was very distressed last night.”

 

“Well, she was pretty much used to listen to two heartbeats from time to time. It would have been a shock for her to suddenly find out that the one that had been more constant was gone. Now that she had listened to it again, she has probably recognized you as a parent.”

 

Tygra sighed. He had not allowed himself to deal too much on the situation, but now that Ixchel was physically there, it was unavoidable. He had tried to not acknowledge the guilty feeling in his gut while holding Ixchel. The more time that the little girl spent with him, the more Mai’s image kept popping in his head, and he was starting to feel like a bloody kidnapper. What had given him the right to take a cub away from its mother? It was not right. What had happened to his principles?

 

Those thoughts led Tygra to consider again the other glaring fact he was worried about.

 

Ixchel stopped sucking and wriggled a bit. Tygra readjusted his hold on her, and went to change her clothes and nappy. Saixa had her first good look at her and her eyes widened in amazement.

 

“Wow. She looks almost like a pure tiger cub.”

 

Tygra sighed, and answered surly.

 

“Yeah. That’s kind of worrying me actually.”

 

Saixa lifted an eyebrow in question at him, but seemed to quickly reach her own conclusion.

 

“Oh, I don’t think you have anything to fear from Jareid’s reaction. He has raged enough about what Mai did, he’s not going to blame you. If anything, he would be pleased at the cub’s appearance.”

 

Tygra looked towards her, intrigued.

 

“You think?”

 

“Of course. As much as he has been bitching about Mai and how much he wants her dead, he’d be pleased that he won’t have any subtle reminder that she actually carried one of his cubs. Even if he knew that Ixchel is not really hers, if she had inherited more of the jaguar looks he would have inevitably link her with Mai. But, she looks like a tiger, so Jareid now can happily forget about Mai’s participation in her birth. It was really good luck that she got more from you.”

 

Tygra was speechless. He had never considered how would Jareid could affect this particular situation, but of course he would! And the more he thought about it, the surer he was that Jareid had something to do with Ixchel’s looks. He gulped and tried to not show how upset he was working himself into.

 

“Of course. I had not thought of it that way.”

 

Saixa beamed at him, and then helped him to change Ixchel’s nappy. Tygra tried to focus on his cubs and not dwell in the certainty that was now firmly set in his mind.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid returned to his set of rooms around lunch. They had dealt with Mai, and even when he was not satisfied, he was at least accepting his father’s judgment. For now. If the insufferable twat dared to put a foot in the city again, he would deal with her personally.

 

He walked directly to the nursery, and stopped. He had not talked to Tygra yet, or see the new cub properly. He had only seen enough to confirm that she had Tygra’s colouring. Bengali had also assured him that everything had resulted according to plan. He had a little girl that looked nothing like her mother. That pleased him immensely, but Ben had told him that he should be wary of Tygra’s reaction. The tiger prince would very probably be pissed and Jareid would have to be very convincing when explaining his reasons, or he would have a very loud explosion in his hands.

 

Jareid was at a loss about why the cub’s appearance would upset Tygra, or why would the tiger react so strongly to it. Ok, he hadn’t asked his opinion beforehand, but he thought that they had fixed the problem rather nicely, and that his mate should trust him to make the better decisions. Though, he had also learned to trust Bengali’s assessment of Tygra’s reactions, so he was trying to be prepared for whatever his young mate could throw at him.

 

He entered the nursery quietly, and found Tygra standing beside the crib, with one cub in arms, looking as if he was considering the safety to put said cub down. The tiger turned to him when he coughed quietly to get attention, and immediately growled. Jareid lifted an eyebrow at his mate.

 

“Tygra?”

 

“Don’t get close Jareid. I swear…”

 

The cub made an unhappy noise, and Tygra bit his tongue trying to low down his voice and rocking his arms to calm it. Jareid could see that it was the girl. He gave another step, and Tygra tensed, baring his teeth. Jareid’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Tygra…”

 

“This is your doing, isn’t it?” Tygra hissed in the lower voice he could manage.

 

“What?”

 

“This!” Tygra moved his head emphatically to point at the cub he was carrying, and glared accusingly at Jareid. “She’s not supposed to look like this! She should have nothing of me! What did you do?!”

 

The girl whimpered in discomfort, and Tygra made an effort to breath and stop the scream that wanted to escape his throat. Jareid put a hand on the crib’s railing and looked sternly at his mate.

 

“Ben and Xiar both agreed to do it. It was for the best Tygra.”

 

“The best!”

 

Ixchel started to cry. Tygra changed her position, and put her head on his shoulder. He started to pace along the nursery, making soothing noises. Jareid waited until the cub had calmed down again to continue.

 

“You know perfectly well that I had no desire to accept the cub. Not if it wasn’t yours. The shamans fixed that!”

 

Tygra glared at him in resentment. The tiger gritted his teeth and walked to the crib again. He kissed Ixchel’s forehead and laid her down next to Itzamma, praying that she wouldn’t wake up. He waited a few moments, looking intently at his three cubs, until he convinced himself that he could leave them for some minutes without any one crying. Snarf mewled at him as if reassuring that they wouldn’t be alone, and Tygra finally sighed and looked up to focus on his mate. Jareid was going to speak again, but Tygra didn’t intend to have this discussion over his cubs’ crib. He snarled at the jaguar and turned around to get out of the nursery. Jareid rolled his eyes and followed his tiger.

 

Once in the hall, and with the door of the nursery firmly shut behind him, Jareid grabbed Tygra’s arm and stopped him. Tygra growled and snapped at him.

 

“Let go Jareid!”

 

“No! What’s the matter with you? Why are you so upset over this?”

 

“Upset! Of course I’m upset, you idiot! Let me go!”

 

Tygra made a circle with his arm and managed to disengage Jareid. He made a beeline for the door to their rooms, trying to put some distance between them and the nursery. He got as far as the sitting area, before Jareid grabbed his arm again, more firmly this time, and turned him around. Tygra gasped as his mate held him by both arms, too close to his face.

 

“Stop it Jareid!”

 

“Why are you so worked up over this, Tygra? You wanted the cub, I gave you the cub! You wanted me to be more involved with her, I fixed things so that could happen!”

 

“She didn’t need any ‘fixing’ you dumbass! She’s not a machine, or one of your fancy technological gadgets! You had no right!”

 

“I’m her father! And I have the right to choose whom I want to have cubs with, and I never wanted Mai! I had the right to have her out of **_my_** cub!”

 

“Who are you to say that? You’re not a God! Don’t you understand? It was completely unnecessary! Ixchel could have been seriously hurt!”

 

“Who gave you that idea?”

 

“I talked to your mother!”

 

Jareid felt a bit sidetracked by that. He scowled and bared his teeth in annoyance.

 

“Pray tell what could my mother have told you that led you to believe that the cub could be hurt?”

 

“She told me what they did to ensure that they wouldn’t have a black jaguar as heir.”

 

Jareid froze for a moment. His lips formed a tight line and he let Tygra go.

 

“It wasn’t the same.”

 

“Why? Because it was you the one who wanted it?”

 

“This has nothing to do with that! They only took Mai out of the equation!”

 

“They manipulated Ixchel’s appearance! Don’t tell me that Mai couldn’t possibly have black fur genes in her, even if that were true, your genes were also there! As queen Xilara explained it, you could have killed her!”

 

‘ _It would have been better_.’ The retort was on the tip of Jareid’s tongue, but he swallowed it at the last second. He didn’t need to upset Tygra even more than he already was. He did growl though, and his eyes brightened in fury.

 

“She is not dead! And she’s yours now. Ben did an excellent job! Why are you so worried for something that didn’t happen?”

 

“Would you have allowed them to do the same to Itzamma and Akbal?”

 

“Of course not!”

 

“Then why you did it to Ixchel? How could you?”

 

“I told you, she wasn’t yours! I couldn’t let that be! I had to do something, and now she’s as yours as mine. WE are her parents, and no one else! And I don’t regret it, so don’t expect me to apologize for it!”

 

Tygra bit his lips and clenched his fists tightly. He wanted so much to punch Jareid on the face at the moment. He couldn’t believe the utter disregard the jaguar could have for a life.

 

“You fucking bastard. You wouldn’t have cared, would you? You would have been happier if she had died, so much better for you!”

 

He said it with bitter resentment, and that stopped Jareid on his tracks. The jaguar breathed deeply and tried to think of what would calm his mate.

 

“Look, I accept that I didn’t really give it much thought. I didn’t consider much about the idea, and I certainly didn’t even remember what my mother went through. I just trusted Ben with this. I knew Xiar was going to help. They wouldn’t have hurt her. Ben would have told me if it couldn’t be done. She is fine, Tygra. No one is going to look at her twice now and doubt that she is your cub. I really didn’t think farther from that.”

 

Tygra growled between gritted teeth, not in the least mollified. “And it so happened that it was convenient for you.”

 

“Yes, I won’t deny it. It was convenient for me. I didn’t want to look at her and growl in sudden fury. I didn’t want to be reminded of Mai.”

 

“Or the fact that we technically stole her cub from her.” Said Tygra bitterly, a great deal of his anger transforming into guilt. Jareid looked confused for a moment before giving a snarl.

 

“We didn’t steal anything. Have you forgotten what she did? She was the one who stole from us! I only recovered what she took from us!”

 

“But she’s still Ixchel’s mother.”

 

“She’s not! That’s the whole point Tygra. She should never have been that cub’s mother, and now she’s not! Mai took something that didn’t belong to her. It was ours from the beginning. That’s why it needed fixing.”

 

Tygra averted his eyes, still too conflicted over the entire situation. Jareid huffed and grabbed him by the arms again.

 

“Look, what is done is done. Ixchel was not hurt. She looks just as she should, and I’m the happier for it. She’s yours. Please don’t think otherwise. Not now.”

 

Tygra growled in annoyance at both Jareid and himself, because his reasons were starting to make sense and he didn’t want that. He turned around and his hands went through his mane, not knowing what to do to make Jareid understand his displeasure. He was starting to get confused himself. Jareid tried not to lash out.

 

“Tygra…”

 

“I just can’t… You don’t understand, I can’t accept that you thought yourself justified in doing what you did. That it was ok for you to do it just because it wasn’t me the one who would have to go through it. That only tells me that you really wasn’t considering Ixchel as yours, maybe she wasn’t even a real cub for you.”

 

Jareid suddenly went at him from behind and surrounded him with his arms, trapping him into a tight embrace. Tygra gasped, reminded of how much stronger than himself Jareid was. Jareid’s low growl was very clear in his ear.

 

“You’re right, she wasn’t. I’m not like you on that aspect Tygra. I didn’t want to think about a real cub. And she wasn’t real until I heard her crying in the clinic. Which is why I needed her to resemble something I could get involved with. Would you have wanted me to get angry every time I saw her?”

 

And just like that, Tygra remembered the violence Jareid was capable of. How much it had taken for Jareid to acknowledge that they were going to be raising three cubs. How worried he had been of Jareid’s reaction to the cub’s appearance. He didn’t think that he would have gotten his act together if Jareid had insisted on rejecting the third cub. He shuddered in sudden fear, thinking of what Jareid could still do to a defenceless cub. He grumbled dejectedly.

 

“It doesn’t make what you did right.”

 

Jareid’s hold tightened and Tygra felt like he was going to break his ribs.

 

“Don’t defy me over this Tygra.”

 

“I-I’m not! I… Please stop…”

 

Tygra gasped and moved his head to the side, so Jareid could bite his neck. The jaguar did so, hard enough to draw some drops of blood. Tygra groaned and remained passive. He didn’t want to fight physically, only to make his mate see that one didn’t play with a life in the way he had done. It was not right. But he didn’t know how to drive his point home. The only thing that worked with Jareid was physical contact. He tended to disregard moral dilemmas as other cats’ business. It was best to let him calm down.

 

After a few moments, Jareid licked his mate’s neck and breathed in his essence. Tygra was still tense, but didn’t fight him. Jareid loosened his hold a bit, so his tiger could breathe more freely.

 

“Listen Tygra, I’d never hurt a cub. I promise you that. But I got the distinct impression that you wanted me to do more than just ignore Ixchel’s existence.”

 

“I didn’t mean for you to mess with her genes!”

 

“Quiet Tygra.” Jareid growled again, and Tygra understood that he was reaching the end of his rope. The tiger stayed still and Jareid continued talking. “I could never have treated her the same as the twins if she had stayed a pure jaguar. It wasn’t going to work. It would have been more trouble than it was worth, and everyone would have ended up figuring out the truth.”

 

Tygra closed his eyes painfully. For him the situation was a direct result of Jareid’s inability to adequately process emotional challenges. He was too used to just make problems disappear when he shows his displeasure. Jareid turned him around and held him at arms’ length once more.

 

“You see that it was necessary? Tygra?”

 

No. He didn’t see it. Nothing would ever justify putting a defenceless cub at risk. Not to him. He wanted to argue, but it was going to be useless with Jareid. Besides, the jaguar was right in one thing. It was done. Ixchel had been lucky enough to survive a potentially deadly procedure. Tygra didn’t know what he wanted from Jareid. The jaguar couldn’t undo what was already done. But he still felt very upset, and he glared his reproach at the older prince, who answered with a frustrated growl.

 

“Tygra, I’m warning you.”

 

The tiger gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, but offered his neck to his mate at the same time. He was not going to defy Jareid. He was accepting his dominant’s judgment, but he was doing so under protest. Jareid bared his teeth at him, and licked the mark he had already done.

 

“You’re not convinced.”

 

“No.” Tygra tried to push away from Jareid’s body. He didn’t want the other’s closeness. He wanted to be alone.

 

Jareid wanted to shake his mate until he saw sense. He didn’t know what else he could say, or what Tygra wanted. He was going to need help.

 

“Tell me what you want Tygra. What do you expect from me? How could I make you see what I’m seeing?”

 

Well, he wanted to know that himself. Tygra simply didn’t share what seemed to be the entire jaguars’ clan conviction that Jareid was allowed to do whatever he wanted without repercussions. He shrugged and shook his head. He felt as if he was trying to argue with a wall. He looked upwards and realized that Jareid was feeling much the same. He could only sigh.

 

“I don’t know. I… I need time to think. I can’t just… deal with it.”

 

“You want time alone.”

 

Tygra nodded, and Jareid accepted it. He released his hold on the tiger’s arms and turned around. Let his mate think about it. Maybe he’d see that it had been the best choice. Maybe a bit of Ben’s help could be in order.

 

Tygra looked as his mate exited the room and then sat down heavily. He rubbed his face with both hands and sighed. He didn’t know how to reconcile Jareid’s ideas and actions with what he knew that was inherently right. He refused to just ignore his morals this time. He felt utterly lost.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Bengali made his way to the princes’ rooms, thinking about how to explain to Tygra what they had done with Ixchel’s genetic map, and wondering just in what state he was going to find the young tiger. Jareid was upset, and couldn’t really explain to Ben Tygra’s reaction beyond the simple fact that the young prince was not happy. Jareid didn’t understand Tygra’s objections, so he couldn’t explain them, which lead Ben to believe that most of said objections were either moral issues, or emotional in nature.

 

He sighed when he was at the door to Tygra’s private room. He imagined that the tiger had either retreated to his personal space, or gone to the nursery to see to his cubs. He was hoping that he could talk with the tiger alone. Tygra was not going to vent freely in front of the cubs.

 

He pressed the button to announce himself. The door opened almost instantly and he poked his head in. He spotted Tygra sitting at his desk, looking his way, with what looked like a medical book in front of him. He was frowning, and had evidently been expecting him. Well, it was not a surprise, considering that every time that Jareid didn’t know how to deal with his mate, he sent the white tiger in his place. Bengali was starting to feel like a bloody emotions-translator for the jaguar prince.

 

The shaman entered and approached the desk a bit cautiously. Tygra was glaring resentfully at him, and was clearly trying to not let go of his anger. The younger tiger waited until Ben was sitting on an armchair in front of him to talk.

 

“So, he doesn’t know what to do with me, and he sends you to do his dirty work.”

 

Ben sighed and massaged his temples with some frustration. “I think he believes that we have some secret code to understand each other. He can’t phantom what he’s doing wrong with you half of the time, so I have to mediate.”

 

Tygra bared his teeth and snarled.

 

“How could you Ben?”

 

Bengali folded his hands in front of him and stared at the book Tygra had on his hands first.

 

“Are you looking into it?”

 

“I wanted to have a clearer picture of what exactly you do when you are messing with genetic material, but I don’t understand half the language this book is written in.” He sent the book to the side and glared again at the older tiger. “What I want to know is why you accepted to do it Ben. It’s… I can’t even think of an appropriate word!”

 

The shaman took a look at the orange tiger’s frowning face, considering the issue.

 

“First, let’s be sure that we start on the same page. What exactly do you think we did, Tygra?”

 

The young prince gave a low growl and crossed his arms.

 

“I had a talk with Queen Xilara a few days ago. She told me what they did to ensure that her first borne didn’t have black coat. She said that black jaguars are especially sensitive to genetic treatments, because they are very invasive. It is already risky to do something like that when the cub is already forming inside the womb, it is doubly so when the cub could have been a black jaguar. It was the main reason behind her many miscarriages! Why would you risk a cub’s life like that? It was completely unnecessary Ben! Why do it, only because Jareid wasn’t happy with the cub’s mother?”

 

Bengali sighed. Jareid had a certain charm to make everything spin around him. Even Tygra, without him noticing, had made the jaguar prince the centre of his world already.

 

“Ok. I see where you’re coming from. I did think it was a mistake to not tell you what was happening, but Jareid has some strange ideas sometimes. I wanted to explain you from the beginning what we were attempting. I tried to manipulate the cub’s genes as less as possible. It is a pretty invasive procedure, I was very aware of it, but it was not the same as it was with queen Xilara. Besides, her situation was even worse because of the poison she had been dosed with. I didn’t attempt to change the genes that were already in the embryo. It was more like, bringing yours into the equation. I manipulated your genes, trying to make them _the_ dominant ones. I tried to touch the others as little as possible.”

 

Tygra blinked and frowned, trying to wrap his mind around the alien concept of genetic manipulation.

 

“You know, I hate this aspect of technology. Couldn’t you simply have limited yourselves to the machines? No one has the right to go and change… something that essential to our nature. It’s just not right. I have the impression that Jareid thinks himself some kind of minor god, and the fact that he can just go and order how his daughter should look does not help at all!”

 

“I know. Look there’s really very little we could do about that. We didn’t raise Jareid.”

 

Tygra huffed and stood up. He started to pace along the room in agitation.

 

“I suppose you are going to tell me that Ixchel was never in any danger.” He said incredulously, and Bengali sighed.

 

“No. Of course there was danger. There always is. We did do something invasive in an early stage of the foetus’ development. We had to take all kinds of precautions. It was not easy. But Tygra, it was successful. I would have stopped the moment I had seen too many complications.”

 

“And he would have let you to just stop?”

 

“ _He_ wouldn’t have had any other choice. _We_ are the healers.”

 

Tygra huffed and leaned on a wall, crossing his arms. He still felt very upset. Bengali sighed and stood up to approach him. He put a hand on the younger feline’s shoulder. This was just another thing, that was very different to Thundera’s views, which the young tiger had to accept.

 

“We recommended the best course of action. It was to please Jareid, but also to make things easier for everyone else.”

 

“It is not right Ben. It is so easy to mess with a life. How could you do it and not lose the respect that a new life deserves?”

 

“It is not ‘easy’. It is not something that the jaguars do constantly. It is just an option we find available to us. The jaguars had dealt with biotechnology long enough to accept its influence in their lives, and they don’t see it as supernatural as you do. It was developed to make their lives easier. They don’t see the point of deny themselves such great help.”

 

“I think they are taking it a bit too far.”

 

Ben sighed. It was easy to say that the shamans knew what they were doing. But Bengali knew what Tygra feared. The line between responsible use of biotechnology and believing themselves gods was very slim. He however, liked to think that the shamans had enough presence of mind to not cross that imaginary line.

 

“Maybe that’s true. I’d like to say that we are not as prideful, or as dumb, as to believe that we are above the laws of nature. That every one of us knows that we are only allowed to twist those laws in rare and dire circumstances. But I can’t speak for an entire city. Not really for anyone but myself.”

 

“Yet you did something dangerous and uncalled for, only because of Jareid’s wishes.”

 

Ben sighed and leaned on the back of a couch.

 

“Well, I did think that it was necessary.” Tygra started to growl again, and Ben lifted his hands to pacify him. “Just listen for a moment, please. I know that there was nothing that strictly required for us to do any meddling with Ixchel’s looks. Normally these kinds of procedures are only to treat health issues, and I agree that they shouldn’t be considered just to appease the parents’ whims, or expectations about their cubs. But in Jareid’s case, well… We were very… reluctant to just leave Mai’s cub be. It was in fact Xiar the one to suggest we could try the procedure.”

 

Tygra frowned at his friend. He felt suddenly alarmed.

 

“Xiar?”

 

“Yes. He… commented to Baal that it had been a shame that Mai had already been more than a month into the pregnancy. If it had been the first week we should have been able to do something more drastic to modify the genetic code. He never stated what could have been done. His sole purpose had been to plant an idea in Jareid’s mind. The prince had been within hearing range, and well, he caught on the fact that we could still do something, and he went to ask me if we could somehow change the cub’s genes.”

 

Tygra gaped. He couldn’t believe it.

 

“What? Why would he do that? We had an agreement! They agreed to let Mai have the cub, and that we were going to raise it!”

 

“Yes. And it was worrying them to no end. In fact, if Jareid had not gotten the hint and pressed for it, I’m pretty sure that Baal would have ordered for us to try anyway.”

 

“But… I don’t understand why.”

 

“Jareid was really mad, Tygra. It took a lot to make him not to go and kill Mai. He was still on edge and very angry. He would have been impossible to live with if we would have handed you a cub that looked just like Mai. It would have been worse if the cub had been a male. It only would have taken someone to even hint at the possibility of the cub not being yours, and Jareid would have killed that someone.”

 

“I… I don’t think that would have happened. I mean… Jareid is not that irrational… Lately he has not been like that.”

 

“He has more control, yes, but we couldn’t be sure. Jareid is very much unpredictable, and we just thought it would be best not to risk it. Besides, even when he wouldn’t physically hurt a cub, he is very capable of ignoring it. Baal preferred to not give Jareid the chance to be a neglectful, or even abusive, parent. He would not allow that to happen.”

 

‘ _Jareid himself didn’t want to take the chance_.’ Thought Tygra, remembering his mate’s words. Jareid had been so sure that he wouldn’t have been able to see past the cub’s looks and forget the circumstances, that he had preferred not to even try.

 

Tygra grumbled in annoyance and crossed his arms again. One shouldn’t have to change their own cub’s looks just to be sure that one would care for it! Ben sighed and approached the younger tiger again.

 

“Tygra, there was no harm to her.”

 

“It’s still not right.”

 

“No, morally it’s not. But your cub is safe now, and she will have a family. A loving family. We did the best for her.”

 

Tygra looked at the ceiling, still not convinced, but unwilling to drag out a useless argument.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

It was after dinner when Jareid entered the nursery again, to find his mate sitting on the rocking chair, looking idly towards the crib. The tiger looked his way when he heard him, and glared at him, even growling a little. Then Tygra looked away and crossed his arms. Jareid massaged his temples and his chest grumbled in annoyance. He walked towards his mate and leaned over the rocking chair, to be at the tiger’s level.

 

“Are you still mad at me?”

 

Tygra’s growl was low, and he looked sideways at the jaguar. He hissed his answer, trying to keep his voice low, so he wouldn’t wake his cubs. “Of course I am. You all did something unthinkable. The fact that it turned out all right, doesn’t change its nature.”

 

“I thought that Bengali had explained…”

 

“He did. And I understand the reasons. I can even accept that we’re saving ourselves a lot of problems. I still don’t like it, and I’m still upset that you thought it necessary.”

 

Jareid scowled and caressed his mate’s cheek. Tygra glared at him but didn’t turn away.

 

“I wanted to give you your cub, how was that not right?”

 

Tygra gritted his teeth, and looked in front of him sullenly.

 

“I know you don’t understand my reasoning. There’s only one way I can explain yours to myself. I don’t see things like you, Jareid. I understand why you act like you do, but it’s difficult for me to just accept it.”

 

Jareid grabbed the tiger’s chin, not with force, just to prevent Tygra from turning his head as he touched the tiger’s ear with his nose.

 

“What do you want me to do, Tygra?”

 

The tiger closed his eyes, and started to bit his lower lip, his claws got out and punctured his arms. Jareid didn’t like it, but stopped himself from growling in warning.

 

“Nothing. I… I don’t know. I’m just upset. My mind is fixated on the fact that Ixchel could have died. She’s not responsible for what Mai did, she shouldn’t suffer for it.”

 

“That’s exactly my idea. And she won’t, Tygra. Mai is out of our lives now. Permanently.”

 

Tygra shuddered. He looked towards the crib, and realized that he was not as upset anymore. He had not enough energy to waste on being upset. He only felt a great amount of sadness now. Jareid moved, and put an arm around Tygra’s shoulders and the other under the tiger’s knees, and lifted his smaller mate. He sat on the chair with Tygra on his lap. The tiger growled, but didn’t try to get away, not even when Jareid embraced his waist and forced his head to lean on a broad shoulder. He just stayed passive and let his mate caress him soothingly. He breathed deeply and cursed his instinct that made him feel calm and protected with Jareid’s closeness.

 

“Your cub is safe, Tygra. She’s ours. Only ours.”

 

Tygra huffed. He debated whether to tell Jareid what Bengali had told him about what exactly they had done, but it would bring a lot of different problems. He decided to focus on another question instead.

 

“If she’s ours, then why didn’t you ask my opinion?”

 

“I didn’t want to fight. You were pregnant and didn’t need the stress. And I really didn’t want to risk you doing what you are doing now, and have to convince you that it was the best.”

 

Tygra growled to emphasise his displeasure. Jareid’s embrace tightened around him.

 

“I’m your dominant, Tygra. You should trust me to make the right decision for our family.”

 

“How can I trust you, if you don’t trust yourself, Jareid?”

 

The jaguar paused and scowled, sidetracked by the question.

 

“What do you mean? I do trust myself.”

 

“Really? What would you have done if Ixchel’s looks couldn’t have been changed? If she had looked exactly like a jaguar should look? Would you have hurt her?”

 

Jareid’s growl rumbled in his chest, and he bared his teeth. Just thinking about the possibility made him mad.

 

“Of course not. But I know myself, Tygra. I know that I would have been angry, and I would have as little contact with her as possible. I wouldn’t want her in the same crib as my twins. I wouldn’t hit her, but my anger would have been very obvious to her and to everyone. At the moment there was still the possibility for her to be a male. It would have been ten times worse then.”

 

“But why? Why not give yourself the chance to have your cub in your arms? Couldn’t you have accepted that she’s your daughter, regardless of who her mother was?”

 

“As much as I utterly despised the fact that she existed alone, I don’t think so. It would have been nearly impossible for me to just dismiss my anger over it.”

 

Tygra bit his lips and ducked his head in sadness. Somehow he had managed to oversee the fact that Jareid was a very violent cat. He hadn’t really taken that hideous characteristic in consideration when he had begged for them to give him Mai’s cub. Jareid sighed, smelling the change in his mate’s emotions. He didn’t know what else to do to soothe his tiger.

 

“Tygra, I have changed many things so you could be happy here. But I can’t change my entire personality. I know how I am. I need you to understand it. I’m trying to understand you too.”

 

Tygra nodded and lifted his head a little to reach the side of Jareid’s neck with his mouth. He licked his mark there. It had faded a bit, because he didn’t feel the need to mark Jareid as often as the jaguar did him, but it was still there. He had accepted Jareid as mate, and he would be the only one. Sometimes it was harder to be content with his lot, to forget that he had had no choice, especially because Jareid hadn’t grown up with the same set of morals and ethical rules he had. He sighed as he clung to his mate’s neck. Jareid seemed to think that he was forgiven and started to purr and groom his tiger’s short mane.

 

They stayed like that for long minutes, as Tygra tried to come to terms with something that had no fixing. He had to reluctantly accept the futility of trying to explain his principles. He had not been responsible for Jareid’s upbringing. But he had three little cubs for which he was responsible now, and he vowed that his cubs would not have only the jaguars’ mindset to feed from.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The names of the cubs are Mayan  
> Ixchel: Diosa de los nacimientos, del arcoiris y la luna. Goddess of the rainbow, the moon and protector of birthing. Because of her association with birth, she is also considered a fertility goddess. So, Jareid had his wish after all.


	23. Readjusting to Day to Day Life.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  

Baal looked with immense displeasure as his ex-chief commander and his daughter disappeared into the jungle. He had tried to convince Myron to just send Mai away and for him to retain a post in their forces, but the old jaguar had refused. It had been a hard hit to the veteran’s pride and honour. He felt totally responsible for his daughter’s wrongdoings, as it had been him the one that had insisted to keep her after he had estranged his mate. He was going to accompany her into exile, and made sure that she would never return. They had only waited two days for her to recover from the birth. She still was complaining loudly and demanding her cub, even after being informed of the council’s decision to exile her. She had been aware that they intended to pass her cub as Tygra’s thanks to a letter that her mother had written her, reproaching her for what the noble woman saw as stupid actions. Mai had realized that her mother thought that the cub she was carrying was not hers, and had inferred the lie they had told to everyone. She had been frantic and had to be sedated most of the time. Myron had judged it wise to not let her go into exile alone. Who knew what she could manage if she was left to her own devices?

 

Baal was not satisfied. He was losing one of his best soldiers all due to a young female’s delusion. He had almost caved to the temptation of letting Jareid kill her just because of that.

 

He growled in annoyance. Mai had been an unforeseen problem, and he planned to have a brief ‘ _discussion_ ’ with each one of Jareid’s past lovers, Saixa included. He wanted to make sure that he would not have more surprises like the one they had just sorted out, not now that things were going as they should. Tygra had been adapting pretty well, and Jareid had a family of his own to care for and protect. The jaguar prince was more centred and even reasonable. Baal was not going to allow anything to ruin all the hard work that they, particularly Bengali, had put on the two princes’ relationship. The young nobles of the court had been behaving while the tiger had been pregnant. But Baal knew his court and now that all danger had passed and they had royal cubs to continue the line, the young jaguars were more likely to start again with their insinuations, still looking for the ‘vacant post’ of consort. The first on his list was in fact one of Mai’s cousins, Mao. Bengali had reported the lad before as a possible troublemaker. It would be wise to make sure that he wasn’t going to get any crazy ideas like his cousin. He also wanted to make sure that there was not going to be any other misled attempts to ‘ _help,_ ’ like what had happened with the young shaman apprentice that had been tricked by Mai. Really. One would think that a shaman had a minimum of common sense!

 

He turned his back on the path that the two exiles had taken and returned to the city with the rest of his escort. He ordered his new commander to bring Mao to him right away. He was going to start his long set of ‘talks’ immediately. Everything had to work nicely for the heir’s presentation to the council. He’d start with the most problematic ones and leave Saixa for the last. After all, she had been intelligent enough to make herself a spot near the princes without causing any major conflict. He expected fewer surprises from that front.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The days passed by and soon the twins were two months old. There was no more avoiding an official presentation to the council, their allies, and the people at large. Tygra was very nervous because of it. He couldn’t help but worry over the possible reaction that the elders would have, especially to Akbal and Ixchel. It was almost a given that everyone would dote over Itzamma, and Tygra didn’t consider that a good thing either.

 

He was sulking over it while he gave Ixchel her milk. He had put a mat on the middle of the nursery, and was lying on his side, his little girl next to him, and holding the bottle for her to suck the tit comfortably. It had been the only position that allowed him to feed Ixchel without many problems. His daughter was a nervous cub, and was difficult to calm her down once she started crying. Tygra was worried, thinking about what he would do if Ixchel didn’t feel comfortable in the council’s meeting and subsequent celebration.

 

He sighed and looked at another point on the mat, where Lion-O had Akbal in front of him, and was making him laugh by blowing raspberries on his little tummy, and allowing him to pull on the teen’s red mane. Tygra smiled at the picture. Akbal was a very happy cub at the moment. He would roll around on the mat and spread out legs and arms, trying to reach some toy that Lion-O held ahead of him. Lately, the time he spent awake had been increasing, and he had started to try supporting his upper body on his arms, though he still hadn’t managed to find the correct position to do so. He was going to require more stimulation soon, and Saixa had started to put different toys at hand, so she could play with the little ones once she finished feeding them. Tygra would rejoin training soon; he was only waiting for the moment when Ixchel accepted the bottle from Saixa. His time with his cubs would be cut short then, leaving the jaguaress as the cub’s caregiver for most of the day.

 

Tygra sighed and looked towards the crib. Itzamma was sleeping quietly as always. The tiger was getting annoyed now. No matter what Ben and Xiar said, this was no longer normal. Even Ixchel at two weeks old was moving more than Itzamma! No one seemed to take his worries seriously, and he wanted some action taken soon. He was not going to allow them to ignore his son any longer.

 

Ixchel finished her milk and Tygra lifted her up and paced the nursery with her, patting her back lightly to make her burp. She was restless, and he wanted her sleeping so he could change the twins’ clothes. They still had around an hour to prepare for the meeting. Ixchel was already wearing a long white tunic, embroidered with golden glyphs and a medal with the clan’s symbol on it. She had white ribbons on her head, and a tiny golden bracelet on her right arm. She looked very cute. Akbal was still only in his nappies, and Tygra knew that he was going to be the hardest to clothe. Akbal enjoyed being naked far too much.

 

Ixchel was quiet on his shoulder, and he considered it safe to put her in the crib so he could prepare Akbal. However, as soon as he left her lying on the mattress, she started to whimper and mewl in distress. Tygra sighed and looked to the clock hung on one of the walls.

 

“Sweetie, I have to leave you for some moments. Your brothers really need to get dressed.”

 

Obviously Ixchel couldn’t care less. She wanted to be held and feel her parent’s presence close to her. Her mewls were starting to become cries and Tygra bit his lips. He’d never have the twins ready if he tried to get Ixchel to sleep first. From the mat, Lion-O looked up to him and called.

 

“I can see to her while you deal with the other two.”

 

Tygra considered the offer and was about to say yes when Saixa entered the nursery, Snarf close on her heels.

 

“Sorry I’m late. How can I help you?”

 

Tygra left the crib’s side and went to pick up Akbal, giving Lion-O heartfelt thanks.

 

“Could you hold Ixchel for a moment? She has eaten already, but she’s distressed.”

 

“Ok.”

 

Saixa walked towards the crib as Tygra took Akbal to the changer table. The jaguaress looked into the crib and smiled. Itzamma was awake and looking towards his sister as if wondering why she was making so much noise. Saixa thought he looked cute when he was frowning like that. She gave him a tender scratch behind the ears before she lifted Ixchel.

 

“Don’t worry little one. Your sister just wants some attention.”

 

Snarf perched on the rail and stayed with Itzamma as Saixa rocked Ixchel to calm her down. She was not as effective as Tygra, but the little girl seemed to recognize her smell as something familiar enough to stop the crying.

 

Jareid entered the nursery at that moment and looked around. He spotted Ixchel, all ready in Saixa’s arms, and Tygra struggling at the changer to dress Akbal. Lion-O was picking up the mat from the floor, and Snarf was perched on the crib, looking inside it curiously. Jareid imagined that Itzamma was still in the crib, and he approached it intending to look after his first-born.

 

“Want some help?”

 

“Please dress Itzamma up. We’re running out of time pretty fast.”

 

Jareid looked down at his son and smiled. Itzamma was staring fixedly at Snarf, his big eyes taking into every detail of the pet, one tiny hand extended up and trying to grab the moving tail that hung inches from him. Jareid hated to interrupt his son when he was clearly trying to commit Snarf to memory, but they had to hurry if they didn’t want to be late for the meeting.

 

“Come here little one. You can analyze Snarf all you want later.” He lifted Itzamma carefully and carried him to the changer, where Tygra already had the two little formal outfits out. “I don’t know why your daddy worries so much about you. You are as alert as your brother. You’re just the observant type.”

 

Tygra looked sideways at his mate, and frowned.

 

“Is he awake?”

 

“Yeah… mmm…” Jareid interrupted himself when he put Itzamma on the changer. His cub had his eyes closed again, and was apparently well asleep. Jareid blinked. “He was awake just a second ago.”

 

Tygra grumped and looked worried. Jareid just shrugged and proceeded to take off the little shirt from Itzamma and put him into the short, white tunic, which had embroidered the symbol of the clan on the back. It was shorter than Ixchel’s and it came with a pair of tiny trousers. Both pieces of cloth had golden motifs at the hems. He did quick job of dressing his cub, while Tygra struggled to put the tiny trousers on Akbal. Their black cub was having none of it, and he kicked out and gurgled, trying to roll away from under his father’s hands. Finally, Tygra succeeded, and both cubs were ready for the meeting.

 

Jareid took Itzamma to the crib again. They still needed to change themselves, and they had only twenty minutes to do so and be at the council’s meeting room. Meanwhile, Tygra left Akbal in Lion-O’s and Saixa’s care, instructing his little brother to not let his cub ruin his clothes. Jareid gave similar instructions to Snarf, who mewled in apparent agreement, and then looked down at his son. Itzamma’s eyes were open again and he had his right fist in his mouth, while he was grabbing his right foot with his left hand. Jareid chuckled.

 

“You enjoy making your dad worry, don’t you little rascal?”

 

Itzamma looked up at him innocently. His wide eyes were still blue, but with a stroke of gray slowly taking over. Jareid pinched the cub’s nose playfully and went to catch up with his mate in their bedroom.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Later, Tygra stood nervously in front of the doors to the meeting room, Jareid at his side. He had Itzamma in his arms, while his mate was carrying both Akbal and Ixchel. He was worried as hell and he had Itzamma pressed against his chest protectively, his right hand covering the back of his cub’s head and neck as if he wanted to hide the little form from view. He wanted to grab his other two cubs, turn tail and run. He would never be ready to have a bunch of cats scrutinizing and criticizing his little ones. Besides, there were going to be other animals there. The representatives of other tribes, allies of Ix-Maal. Jareid looked at him in some amusement.

 

“Ready?”

 

“Are you crazy? I’ll never be ready for this! I hate my instincts!”

 

“Calm down. I’m going to be here, at your side. Nothing is going to happen to our cubs.”

 

“I know. My instinct doesn’t though.”

 

Jareid chuckled and looked at his yellow cub in his mate’s arms. He could barely distinguish the cub’s face, hidden as it was amongst the fabric of Tygra’s black and purple tunic, but if he dared to make a guess he’d said that Itzamma looked very happy to be there.

 

“You know, I think he’s teasing you.”

 

Tygra blinked, sidetracked for a moment, and frowned.

 

“What?”

 

“Itzamma. When you are worried about him, because you think he’s sleeping when he should be awake to eat, you tend to cradle him more firmly, almost like you’re doing right now, and you kiss him and scratch his head tenderly to wake him up. I think he loves it, and he fakes to be asleep for you to do it.”

 

Tygra blinked again, and then he bared his teeth and growled in annoyance, his previous nervousness all but forgotten.

 

“That’s nonsense, Jareid. He is two months old! How could he ‘fake’ sleep?”

 

“Of course he could. It’s a perfectly sound theory.”

 

“Jareid… It’s ridiculous! Let’s go inside and get this over with, before you start making up more outrageous stories!”

 

He pressed the buttons for the door to slide open and entered the meeting room, grumbling under his breath. Jareid walked beside him, with a pleased smirk on his face.

 

&&&&&&&

 

They had to attend the celebration party that was held on the ballroom of the ground floor. All the noble families were there. Tygra was slightly overwhelmed to see so many cats. He was struggling to keep track of his cubs. He had held onto Itzamma for as long as he could until Baal had taken him away to preen in front of the elders. Tygra did not like the way everyone was fawning over his eldest son. At the moment he had Ixchel sleeping with her head on his shoulder. She had been crying for a long time and had finally tired herself. Tygra had wanted to take her out of the ballroom and to a quieter environment, but he didn’t want to leave without his twins. As they were the real reason behind the celebration, he couldn’t just take them from it yet.

 

He had nearly panicked when they had stood on the big front balcony and had addressed a front courtyard full of Ix-Maal’s citizens. Ixchel had started to cry when the big ovation that ensued at the heir’s presentation had startled her. Fortunately, Jareid had been able to calm her down enough for the ceremony to be concluded and they had proceeded to the ballroom without much difficulty. That had been a few hours ago. Tygra was now getting impatient. He frowned at some noble cat, who was commenting on how wonderful it would be if he convinced Jareid to accept an official consort. It would give a good impression and would be helpful in raising the cubs the right way.

 

Tygra wanted to snort. If the ‘right way’ meant to have his cubs spoiled rotten, the jaguar clan could forget it already. It was a good thing that Jareid wasn’t so fond of keeping certain traditions, and Tygra was going to make sure that his mate wouldn’t be overindulgent with his cubs either. Some spoiling was all right, but too much would be terrible. Jareid was a fine example of that.

 

The tiger grumbled some palliative words to the cat in front of him about considering the convenience of a consort. Everyone seemed to assume that Saixa would take on that particular role, and many had been waiting for some kind of announcement about it that day. Saixa was presently in a discussion with her father, trying to talk him out of ever bringing the issue up with Jareid. Tygra sighed. He disengaged graciously from all conversation and walked towards a relatively empty corner, so he could breath and scan the ballroom for his two sons. Cheetara approached him to offer some more welcomed company.

 

“You look stressed.”

 

“Yeah, well I’m very put out that my cubs have to be passed around, like some pretty family heirloom.”

 

He looked anxiously towards his mate. Jareid was in the middle of a group of females and some males who looked about to faint. He had Itzamma on his arms, and the little cub was very obviously the reason of all the wooing and battling of lashes that the cats around Jareid were doing. Tygra had to make an effort to contain his growl. His cub was awake and scowling at everything and everyone around him from the safety of his father’s arms. Jareid had him upright, with one hand supporting the cub’s back, but the tiny head was apparently without much support. Tygra could clearly see Itzamma’s little fists grabbing Jareid’s tunic tightly. He looked alert and even hissed at a pair of hands that got too close to him. Jareid took a step back and growled warningly at the offender, who retracted her arms quickly. Itzamma then leaned his head on his father’s shoulder and started sucking his tiny fist; his eyes were still looking sideways at his surroundings. He looked annoyed.

 

Tygra blinked. His eldest cub was a conundrum for him. Sometimes it seemed that Itzamma understood pretty well what was going on around him. Cheetara put a hand on his arm and he reluctantly took his eyes away from his cub. The cheetah smiled at him.

 

“Relax. No one is going to steal them away.”

 

“I know. But they are getting nervous, and it’d be time to feed them soon.”

 

It was already past time for Ixchel, but his little girl had been too stressed and had outright refused the bottle. Ben had told Tygra that one missed feed would not harm her, but the tiger didn’t like the fact that one of his cubs had gone to sleep hungry. Cheetara tried to distract him, but he was only half-listening to his long-time friend. His eyes kept wandering between Itzamma and Akbal, the last being on his grandmother’s arms, close to where the main table was situated. Tygra was practically counting the minutes. Any moment now, Akbal would feel hungry and start crying. Cheetara finally sighed and offered to hold Ixchel, so Tygra could go and retrieve his black cub, as he obviously wanted to. Tygra hesitated a moment. He didn’t want to risk Ixchel waking up now, but then he saw that Akbal was starting to whimper and wriggle awkwardly on Xilara’s arms and he gave his little girl to Cheetara, so he could run and take care of his son before Akbal could take on full crying mode.

 

He took his cub behind the table, so they could have the illusion of privacy, and took a bottle out of a backpack specially prepared for them that had been on one of the chairs. He gave the bottle to his cub, and Akbal took the tit readily and sucked on it as enthusiastically as always. Jareid approached him just moments before Akbal was done and attempted to give a bottle to Itzamma. Their blond cub however turned his head away and waved his little hands at the tit, plainly refusing to take it. Tygra groaned in distress. It was bad enough that Ixchel had not eaten. If Itzamma was stressed enough to refuse his milk then it was time to take the cubs out of there. Tygra told so to Jareid. Akbal was yawning, very tired, but he would not close his eyes. The noise and the mixture of smells and lights in the ballroom were very distracting and would not let him sleep. He started to sob and rub his face on his father’s neck as a result. Jareid caved. He didn’t like the idea of Itzamma losing his appetite due to stress. His cub was too young to have to deal with social meetings anyway. He gave a quick word to his father, who held Itzamma and passed him in front of the elders a last time before allowing his son to slip away with his family. Saixa trailed behind them to offer help, and made the rest of the females in the court envy her.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra flopped down beside Jareid on the mat extended over the nursery floor, and groaned. He felt tired. Itzamma had accepted the bottle as soon as he had been changed into more comfortable clothes, and had given no more trouble, but Ixchel had woken up when they had been just about to enter their Hall, and she had startled Akbal who had been about to close his eyes. It had taken Tygra and Saixa ages to calm them down. Jareid had been left alone with Itzamma, and he had happily taken care of the most quiet of his cubs. When he had finished, he had taken Akbal, so Saixa could return to the party, while Tygra had managed to give a bottle of milk to Ixchel.

 

Now all three cubs were finally asleep and Tygra basked in the blessed silence that had taken over the nursery, and relaxed. Having cubs was decidedly a task that should have remained only for the females. He couldn’t believe he was so tired! He had done nothing but attend a boring ceremony!

 

He felt Jareid’s hands starting to rummage over his body and he groaned again. The feeling was not unpleasant, and soon he was inching closer to his mate. The jaguar kissed his tiger’s forehead and tried to groom the stripped head. Tygra lied there contently, allowing Jareid to continue his caressing, until the jaguar’s hands grabbed the hem of Tygra’s trousers and pulled down. Tygra yelped in surprise and tried to stop his mate’s bold movement.

 

“Jareid! What are you doing?” He hissed, focussing on keeping the lowest level of noise he could manage. He looked up towards his mate, who was smirking evilly at him.

 

“They are asleep, and we are alone. Everyone is at the party, so I don’t have any more duties today. I think we can take advantage of our time.” He said in a low voice too, and tried to continue with his task of getting his tiger out of the formal clothes. Tygra spluttered and hissed at him again, trying to escape the jaguar’s clutches.

 

“Are you mad? We are not having sex here Jareid!”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because it’s the _nursery_ you idiot!”

 

Tygra tried to roll away, but Jareid grabbed him by the waist and rolled on top of him. Tygra grunted and bared his teeth, as he was pinned under Jareid’s considerable weight.

 

“Jareid! Stop!”

 

“I fail to see why does it bother you if I decide to have you right here.” He said reasonably, starting to trail kisses along his captive tiger’s jaw. Tygra growled and fought to keep the sound on whisper level.

 

“Jareid, I swear, if they wake up I’m walking away and leaving you to deal with all three of them!”

 

Jareid paused and barely turned sideways towards the crib. He really doubted that the twins would wake up, they both had been exhausted, but Ixchel had proven to be very nervous and a rather light sleeper.

 

“All right. You have a point. Let’s go to our own room.”

 

He lifted himself up and pulled Tygra with him. The tiger huffed indignantly as his mate’s arms surrounded him entirely, preventing him from escape. Jareid sucked on his prize’s neck lusciously, growling possessively as he dragged a mostly reluctant tiger to where he could ravage the younger cat without any impediment.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra huffed as he stopped a blow aimed to his head. He turned around, bringing one foot up to his opponent’s ribs. His leg was grabbed and pulled, making him lose his equilibrium and fall to the ground. He groaned and glared up at his teammate, who was offering his hand to him. He accepted reluctantly and pulled himself up, receiving an affectionate pat on the shoulders.

 

“That was much better Tygra. You’d regain your former strength in no time!”

 

Tygra smiled and moved his shoulders back in circles to relax the stiffed muscles. He had finally rejoined training two days ago, and was anxious to catch up to his teammates level again. He didn’t like to feel left behind. He felt as if he had spent too long doing nothing, even if he had continued doing some form of exercise. It just wasn’t the same.

 

“Get the staffs, now!”

 

The entire group moved as one to obey and Tygra soon was back in front of his opponent with his weapon ready to spar. Xora gave him a concerned frown.

 

“You sure you’re ready to keep up with this Tygra?”

 

The tiger snarled in annoyance.

 

“I am. Quit trying to mother me Xora! I’m perfectly fine!”

 

The jaguar pressed his lips and nodded reluctantly. For all the deities. Tygra was starting to think that he might now know why there were so few females in the forces. He would not have tolerated to be treated like this all the time! He understood the reaction in part, not only he was considered the most vulnerable of their group at the moment, but they had also the threat of Jareid’s anger if something happened to him. He understood that, but it was annoying all the same.

 

Their trainer gave the signal and Tygra attacked, focused on prove to the world that he was not going to break at the first hit he had to block. Xora was surprised at his anger first, but then reacted like the trained soldier he was and fought as he should. It actually made Tygra feel better when he was sent to the floor once again.

 

Much later, Tygra walked the palace’s halls in his way to his rooms. He was still put out with his teammates and didn’t know what to do, as a great part of the problem was the ever-present mantra of “ _Do not do anything that could anger Jareid_ ” that every jaguar seemed to have engraved in their minds. Really! It was their own fault that Jareid didn’t have any respect for needs that were not his own! Why did Tygra have to suffer the consequences? It was outrageous!

 

He sighed and entered his hall, turning immediately to the nursery. He couldn’t do anything to change the situation concerning Jareid, he could only ride the tide and hope that his teammates would stop the nonsense soon. He was not going to tolerate a lousy training just because no one dared to inflict real damage on him!

 

He got to the door of the nursery and stretched his arms before opening it. His muscles were getting colder and starting to ache. He needed a good shower, but he wanted to check on his cubs first. He entered the nursery and found Saixa cleaning the bathtub, a pile of clothes and used towels were on the changer, ready to be dumped in the laundry basket. Tygra smiled when she turned around to face him.

 

“Hi. Had they given you any trouble?”

 

“No more than usual. Akbal is the one who is getting more active. He is cutting down severely on his sleep time.”

 

Tygra peered at the crib. Ixchel and Itzamma were sleeping, and Akbal was lying further down the crib, pulling on Snarf’s tail and trying to bite it. He and Itzamma both were only in their nappies, while Ixchel had a fresh sleeping shirt on. The pet was apparently content with moving his tail out of the cub’s grasp and in front of the little face once more for him to catch it again. It was keeping Akbal entertained. Tygra smiled and caressed his son’s head. The cub looked upwards and extended his little arms towards his father’s figure. Tygra got him out of the crib and held him upright, supporting his back and neck consciously. Akbal emitted little happy noises and immediately latched onto his dad’s mane. Tygra winced as his son’s fists pulled hard. Saixa looked amused at him.

 

“He is gaining strength, and is getting more curious. Any day now he’d just start crawling everywhere!”

 

“I’m in equal parts terrified of that day and wishing upon it. Did you use the dryer on him? It doesn’t feel like he has taken a bath at all.” Tygra didn’t like to use the dryer on his cubs. The natural weather was warm enough for their fur to dry very quickly on its own, there was no need for the extremely hot air that the contraption produced. Saixa moved a hand dismissively.

 

“Oh, I haven’t bathed him yet. I wanted to finish with the other two first, as they are easier to deal with.”

 

“Ah, fine then. Ow!”

 

Saixa chuckled as Tygra moved his head slightly to the side, following the pull of his son’s hands. She went to get everything ready again for Akbal’s bath, but Tygra stopped her.

 

“You know, I think I can take over from here. Since Itzamma and Ixchel are already sleeping, Akbal alone would be no problem.”

 

“Are you sure?” Saixa lifted a dubious eyebrow at him. Tygra usually avoided bathing Akbal alone. The tiger smiled confidently.

 

“Of course. Besides, you surely have other things to do this evening.”

 

The jaguaress was about to question Tygra about his sudden distrust in her, but she noticed the way that Tygra was holding Akbal closely, and how the tiger didn’t mind his cub almost ripping his fur from his head. Saixa guessed that the young tiger was just anxious, and wanted to spend time with his cubs alone. Ixchel was only one month and days old after all, and the twins had been the centre of his life for the last couple of months. It was natural that he would feel restless the first days away from them.

 

“Sure. There are a few very nice soldiers that would like my company very much, and I’d love to see the faces of the ladies of the court when they see me passing by. I’m a celebrity now, don’t you know?” She said happily. She had not bragged her new position to the rest of the court for long enough. She hadn’t gotten tired of seeing the envious looks in Jareid’s past lovers. All of them believed that Jareid was bedding her, and she was not going to clear that misconception for them. The tiger just beamed at her. “Don’t you want me to leave everything prepared?”

 

“No, thanks. I’ll do it myself.”

 

“Ok.”

 

Saixa smiled and walked away, leaving Tygra with his three little treasures. The tiger kissed Akbal’s forehead hard and smelled the cub’s neck deeply, then went to the crib and did the same with Ixchel and Itzamma. His girl yawned and started sucking her thumb. Itzamma’s eyes actually opened and his tiny mouth made a gurgle before he lifted his arms in the same way as his twin had. Tygra reached for him, and managed to accommodate a twin on each arm. Itzamma sniffed him a few times and babbled happily. Tygra felt a pang of guilt that his cub had really missed him, and he kissed the blond head again and groomed it a little. Itzamma’s fur was still a bit damp, but with the heat that they had been having it will finish drying in no time.

 

The tiger spent some minutes just holding his two boys and listening to their incipient babble, with Akbal trying to rip out his mane, until Itzamma fell asleep again. Tygra returned both cubs to the crib in order to start preparing Akbal’s bath. He glanced at the small tub and sniffed himself awkwardly. Now that he had appeased his instinct he was feeling again the need for a shower. He turned towards the crib where Akbal could be heard happily babbling to Snarf. A crazy idea popped in his mind and he grinned. Why not? Both of them needed a good scrubbing anyway. He picked up Ixchel and Itzamma from the crib and looked sternly at Snarf.

 

“Wait for me, I’ll be back shortly.”

 

Snarf mewled and Tygra hurried to his bedroom.

 

It took him three trips to have all three cubs on his and Jareid’s bed and Akbal’s bath necessities in the bathroom. He finished dressing Itzamma now that he could feel that his fur had dried entirely, and surrounded the two sleeping cubs with pillows, putting them at the middle of the big bed. Snarf stayed watching over them, and he left the doors to the closet and the bathroom open. He took Akbal, who gurgled happily when he was out of the nappies, and went to the shower with him.

 

Tygra was very careful to step on the mat, so he wouldn’t slip, and let the spray of the shower hit his back first. Then, he turned around and started to get his cub wet. Akbal did a start of surprise when he felt the water hit him, and after a few stunned seconds he suddenly screeched and wriggled. Tygra almost lost hold of him. The tiger cursed and readjusted his grip to have Akbal’s back and head firm between his hands. Akbal jumped up and down and moved his arms, his surprised noises turned into a laugh and he extended one tiny hand towards the water spray. Tygra realized that his cub actually liked the shower and moved his hands carefully so the spray hit Akbal’s back and head. The cub screeched again in happiness and kicked with his tiny feet. Tygra grinned.

 

“So, you don’t like the bath, but you enjoy the shower? Well, at least is not the fact of getting wet what bothers you.”

 

Akbal babbled and latched on his dad’s shoulder, sucking at it a few times. Tygra looked for the liquid soap that was Akbal’s. He procured to start with the back of the head, but soon he found out that he needed to use both hands if he wanted to manoeuvre his cub and get him completely soaped. He started to do it awkwardly, and he had almost the entirety of his cub’s torso covered in bubbles when Akbal squirmed again, his tiny body twisting in such a way that he slipped from his dad’s soapy hands. Tygra screamed in terror, but his quick reflexes helped him, and he caught his cub before he could reach the floor. Then, he gave a couple of deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Akbal continued laughing and moving, so Tygra ended up sitting gingerly on the floor tiles and arranging the wriggling cub across his legs, thinking that maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid entered his rooms in a hurry. He was very sure that Tygra would be in the nursery with their cubs, but he wanted to take a quick shower before collecting his mate for dinner. He was sweating profusely after two hours of staying out under the sun with the troops. It had been one of those days when it was so hot that you wanted to crawl out of your own fur, and he knew that the night would not be any better.

 

He crossed his study and stopped at the sight of the bed. All the pillows were at the middle of it, arranged neatly into some kind of mini-fort. Snarf mewled at him from the inside of it, and Jareid raised an eyebrow at the pet. Then he approached the bed and peered at the centre of the pillow-fort. Two cubs were inside. Ixchel was sleeping peacefully, and Itzamma was using Snarf’s tail to pull himself closer to a pillow, and rolling on his belly as a result. Jareid smiled and picked up his son, who gurgled and glared at him.

 

“You mean little brat. Why don’t you do any of your clever antics when your other dad is around? I promise he is not going to stop kissing and holding you lovingly to his heart. You don’t have to keep him worried.”

 

Itzamma stared at him, and moved his arms to palm Jareid’s nose and mouth. The prince trapped one tiny hand with his lips, making his son smile. Then he looked down to the bed again and frowned. One black cub was missing.

 

“Where’s your brother?”

 

“Jareid! Is that you? I need help!”

 

Tygra’s voice reached him from the confines of the closet, and Jareid realized that both doors leading to the bathroom were wide open. He left Itzamma lying on the bed again and hurried towards his mate. He stopped on the bathroom door’s threshold to assess the situation. The shower was running and Tygra was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a playful Akbal on his lap. The cub seemed happy to be face down, and his tiny hands were splashing the water puddles on the floor. Tygra looked at his mate with his ears down, the very picture of misery.

 

“Help.”

 

Jareid frowned in worry and hurried towards the shower.

 

“Are you hurt?”

 

“No! No one is hurt. It just… I somehow thought that it was a good idea to introduce Akbal to the shower. I forgot about the soap, and how much Akbal moves, and I ended up sitting down to prevent any falls, after I almost dropped him. Now I have trouble standing up again.”

 

Jareid paused and processed the situation that his mate had created. Then he chuckled and turned off the shower. Akbal looked around and let go a screech of protest when he could no longer feel the spray of water. Jareid found Akbal’s towel and reached down to take the tiny cub from the tiger’s hands. Once free of his son, Tygra had no problems finding his own feet. He stood up gingerly and groaned at the pain of stiffed muscles in his back. Jareid already had Akbal all wrapped in the towel, and the cub was squirming and mewling in protest. Tygra chuckled at the image of the jaguar prince trying to dry their cub with only one hand. He then turned on the shower again and Jareid looked towards him, lifting an eyebrow in askance.

 

“I didn’t get to shower myself, and I really need it.” He said as explanation. Jareid smirked at his mate. If he weren’t holding a cub in his hands he would join his tiger.

 

“I’ll leave Akbal on the bed and return.”

 

Tygra frowned and shook his head minutely.

 

“I really would prefer to not leave Snarf alone with them for too long, not when at least one of them would be awake. I’ll finish quickly.”

 

Snarf was good as babysitter, but Tygra still remembered all the close calls they had had at Thundera’s palace once Lion-O had became mobile. He didn’t want any accidents. Jareid looked as if he might protest, but one of his ears moved conspicuously in the bedroom’s direction and he seemed to think better of it.

 

“Fine. Don’t take too long, I want a shower too. I’m too hot, and not in a good way.”

 

Tygra smirked as his eyes followed his mate and cub past the door. Then he sighed and enjoyed the cool water falling on his body.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Cheetara looked from afar at the group of hunter trainees Tygra was a part of. She had not really believed that her prince had been allowed to continue military training. She had imagined that Baal had assigned Tygra a private trainer or that Jareid himself was training him. That notion had not broken apart when she had confirmed that Lion-O was part of his own training unit. She had supposed that Baal would consider Lion-O less of a threat than the tiger, and thus would allow the lion cub more leeway than to his brother.

 

She shook her head, upset with herself. It had been a foolish assumption. She had been trying to judge Baal’s actions under Thunderian standards, and in doing so had forgotten that Baal had had no reason to consider any of the brothers as more worthy than the other. In political terms, the jaguar would have measured their abilities under the same standards, and would have had no preconceived ideas about who would perform better. For Baal, both brothers had represented an equal threat, and in order to nullify it he had settled for making both of them feel like at home. Thus, treating them as equals, and with more justice than the Thunderians ever had.

 

Cheetara followed the unit’s routine with interest. It was clear that they were an established team, used to each other’s movements and reactions. She could not identify any potential flaws in their exercise, unless you counted the times when they arranged themselves around Tygra to protect him, or when someone visibly tried to diminish the force of a hit he was about to deliver to the tiger. Cheetara scoffed when she noticed that. Tygra would not be happy. She caught the prince roaring in annoyance two or three times at the offenders, who looked properly apologetic, but were still engaging with caution. The cheetah couldn’t blame them, considering her own experience with Jareid’s anger. It was reasonable that the rest of the cats were trying to avoid it. But she also knew that her friend was getting frustrated, and she wondered how long he would last before he exploded. Fortunately, his teammates seemed to understand the tiger’s annoyance, and by the end of the session there was no more noticeable difference between the blows that they threw each other. Tygra looked relatively battered, but happier than she had seen him in ages.

 

Her lips made a thin line of suppressed anger. She had finally managed to cajole Lion-O and she had discovered at last what had really happened to make her friend submit to the older prince so completely, and she didn’t know who she was more upset at. Stupid males, and their stupid, loathsome, wars over pride. Tygra shouldn’t have had to be exposed to such treatment. Ever!

 

It pissed her the fact that there was no going back now. Jareid had managed to trap the tiger, and it was evident that the jaguar had no intentions of ever let him go. But Cheetara was even more upset over the part that her own king had inadvertently played. Tygra had been left alone. Not only had the jaguars isolated the two princes, but also Claudus had let it happen. Cheetara was aware that there had not been any communication between the two kings since the invasion. She had assumed that Baal had simply forbidden any contact between the royal family, but when she had seated down one day with Lion-O _and_ Xilara she had realized that her king had never asked. In fact, no one in Thundera had made the slightest effort to talk with Ix-Maal’s representatives. Every cat had just glared and avoided the jaguars as much as possible. No one had really started a conversation with them, not even to inquire about the princes’ well-being.

 

Cheetara let a frustrated growl escape. King Claudus had assumed that Tygra could keep both his little brother and himself safe. The king had focused on the perfect image of the son that had always excelled at everything. He had forgotten that Tygra was still a kit. He had never imagined that his older son could also feel lonely and in need of reassurance. He had never thought that Tygra could possibly need help of any kind.

 

She looked as Tygra approached her after saying goodbye to his teammates. One of the jaguars followed him, and her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She wouldn’t put past Jareid to order that Tygra was not to be left alone with her. The selfish, controlling cat just had to know every step Tygra took. Though Lion-O was amused at the jaguar’s jealousy and possessiveness, Cheetara was pretty much fed up with it. Still, there was nothing she could do about it. Loathsome as it was, she was no match for the jaguar prince and she didn’t want the brute to decide to pull Tygra away from her. So, she swallowed her anger and smiled at the pair of cats in front of her. The jaguar inclined his head and offered his hand.

 

“Hi Chee. Look, this is Xalu. He was my first friend here.”

 

Cheetara’s gesture softened somewhat, and shook the offered hand. It was easier to accept someone who had been kind to his prince from the beginning rather than a bolder eavesdropper. The male jaguar retained her hand for almost a minute.

 

“A pleasure to meet you. Tygra has told many good things about you.”

 

“Just because he wouldn’t stop asking.”

 

“Hey! It’s not my fault that every time I asked for interesting Thunderian females you knew, you could only mention her!”

 

Tygra’s cheeks coloured and Cheetara raised an eyebrow at him in amusement.

 

“Interesting females, eh?”

 

“Yeah, well. I was curious about Tygra’s life and I wanted to know how much different Thunderian gals were from ours. Not that I got the huge picture, mind you. But I can tell that you’re amazing.” Said Xalu with a mischievous smile and finally let Cheetara’s hand go. Tygra coughed in embarrassment.

 

“Not my fault that there were no more interesting females in the court. They are the same as the ones here, except maybe for Saixa. And you started asking again after Chee arrived here!”

 

“It’s more interesting when you can actually see the person you’re being told about.”

 

Tygra grumbled and crossed his arms to hide his discomfiture. Cheetara chuckled in amusement. Xalu returned to her.

 

“I hope I’ll be seeing you around much more frequently from now on. It’s not everyday that one gets to know a cat that has actually been on the receiving end of the prince’s anger and still doesn’t look terrified of him. I have to say, you do have guts.”

 

Cheetara huffed. She was quite famous in the court and the forces now. She found very disturbing the fact that her ‘fame’ was because she had survived a direct attack from Jareid. It made her wonder how much leeway the jaguar prince was allowed without repercussions.

 

“I don’t see the point in being afraid of him. It’s better to look forwards being stronger. Maybe one day I’d beat him.” She said, looking directly towards Tygra. The tiger blushed and avoided her eyes. Xalu chuckled, somewhat nervously.

 

“Well, I suppose that since he’s not your prince you can allow yourself to think about revenge. The rest of us wouldn’t dare to touch him. It’s already ingrained in our brains.”

 

“But that can’t possibly be healthy!”

 

“It’s not.” Said Tygra with a sigh, at the same time that Xalu shrugged helplessly. “And he hates it.”

 

“I don’t know about that. We obey our king, and Baal’s posture had always been that the prince can do what he wants. No one desires to be on the king’s bad side, so we try not to give him any reason to complain.”

 

“But Jareid is going to be your king someday.”

 

“All the more reason to just do as he says.”

 

Cheetara shook her head. She was used to follow Claudus and Jaga’s orders, but she believed that she at least saw the reason behind them. If Claudus suddenly started to give orders that put the kingdom in danger, the council and the clerics would have put a stop to it. Of course, Baal’s decisions had not put his kingdom in any real danger, yet.

 

“Aren’t you worried about what would happen once Jareid has the crown? With that temper of his?”

 

Xalu looked at Tygra and smiled conspicuously. “Not any more.” He said.

 

Cheetara blinked in befuddlement. Tygra sighed again. Someone yelled Xalu’s name from the other side of the courtyard, and the young jaguar made an impatient gesture towards whoever was waiting for him.

 

“Sorry, I have to go. But I do hope to see you again, my lady.”

 

He kissed Cheetara’s knuckles, making her blush, and patted Tygra’s back in farewell before hurrying towards the corridors that would eventually take him out of the castle. Cheetara shook her head to clear it and turned to look at her tiger friend.

 

“If I understood correctly, he implied that you would somehow manage to placate Jareid enough for him to not drag the entire city to disaster. Is that so?”

 

Tygra looked unnerved, but nodded.

 

“Everyone here seem to think that Jareid only needed a family of his own to start acting with responsibility. Apparently, his behaviour had been close to be considered unmanageable, but it has improved since I’m here. I really don’t know if the change is as glaringly obvious as the jaguars are making it out to be. I don’t know how he acted before I arrived, other than going around sleeping with everyone in sight.”

 

“Well, that alone is greatly irresponsible of him. I suppose they were happy that he fixated on you so readily.”

 

Tygra bit his lips and gave a tight smile. Cheetara’s scowl deepened.

 

“He’s still going to pay for it.”

 

“Chee…”

 

“Not right now. It may very well take years. But I would not forgive him for that, or them for forcing you into being an outlet for his anger and frustration. No one would have cared if he had killed you!”

 

“Chee, look, it just happened. No one forced me to provoke him.”

 

“They should have kept better surveillance of you, and a shorter leash on him! What had they been expecting? You were a pampered prince too! And you’re still a boy! How did they expect a fifteen year old to react to a forced partner? Of course you were going to defy him! And they let you do it, without even a thought or letting you know what their crazy prince was capable of!”

 

Tygra gritted his teeth, and tried to control his temper.

 

“I don’t think it would have mattered much.”

 

“Well, of course, being the stubborn male you were, you would have tested him anyway. But you may have been aware of the possible consequences. And the fact remains that no one even _tried_ to prevent a disaster from happening!”

 

Tygra groaned in frustration. This was why he hadn’t wanted Cheetara to know what had really happened between Jareid and himself. She didn’t understand. Not really. There had been no need for anyone to tell him how Jareid could react. The smell and posture alone was a clear advertising of just how dangerous Jareid was. Tygra just hadn’t cared. He had reached his breaking point and he had needed to fight for dominance. It would have happened sooner or later.

 

“Let it go Chee. It doesn’t really matter anymore.”

 

“Of course it matters! You’re still living with him!”

 

Tygra looked confused at his friend. Cheetara glared.

 

“He shouldn’t have been allowed to mate you. In normal circumstances, your father wouldn’t have even allowed you close to him.”

 

“But this is not a normal circumstance, and what’s done is done Chee. It’s pointless to keep dwelling on it. The situation is not going to change.”

 

Cheetara bit her lower lip in vexation, but finally sighed and let the subject drop. Tygra smiled in relief. They started to walk towards the castle’s entrance and Cheetara spotted Bengali waiting for them. He had been evidently giving them some time alone and he straightened at their approach. Cheetara scowled. Now, here was the real chaperone. She wondered for a moment what would happen if she made a bold movement, like hugging and kissing Tygra. On the lips. She was very tempted to do it just to see how Bengali would react. She dismissed the idea almost immediately. It was childish and would serve no purpose, except perhaps getting herself killed. The shaman nodded at her in greeting and fell in pace next to Tygra. The younger tiger felt suddenly more relaxed. It was a sign of how much he had gotten to trust the shaman. Cheetara still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

 

“Listen, there is something that I wanted to talk with you. Thundera’s council meeting is in two days, and I was supposed to take you and Lion-O back home with me. But Lion-O refuses to go, and…”

 

“Wait, wait! Me? Why me? The year is not over yet, and Baal wouldn’t have allowed me to visit before time.”

 

Cheetara clenched her fists and huffed in frustration.

 

“Well, Claudus was rather expecting that your presence here would no longer be necessary… or welcome…”

 

Bengali growled under his breath and threw her an annoyed look. Cheetara ignored him.

 

“Why would he…?” Tygra started, and then he shook his head and thought about the things that Lion-O had told him. He knew that his father had been pretty mad, and he obviously had sent Cheetara with a mission. A mission that hadn’t been fulfilled, as he had his twins safe and sound. He hadn’t had the courage to ask Cheetara what she had been supposed to do, but he was pretty sure that it had had to involve disposing of his cubs one way or the other. The idea of his father even thinking about harming his cubs was what had stopped him from calling Jareid on his word that he would take them to Thundera for a visit. He wanted his father to meet his cubs, but was fearful of what the lion king would say, or do about them. Cheetara seemed to sense his conflict.

 

“Tygra, he’s your father, and he won’t stop trying to get you back unless he’s convinced that you actually want to stay here.”

 

The tiger clenched his fists. He felt really conflicted over his father. Like there was something that he knew was damaged beyond repair, but nonetheless he wanted to mend it.

 

“I don’t know Chee. I really don’t want to risk him rejecting my cubs, or trying to do something that would take them from me.”

 

“I don’t think he would, not once he has seen for himself how much you love them.”

 

Tygra pressed his lips in a tight line, still unsure. Beyond what his father would say about his cubs, he really didn’t want to risk a confrontation between the lion king and Jareid. He knew that his mate wasn’t going to hold back if his cubs were threatened in any way. Cheetara sighed.

 

“Besides, they are part of Thundera’s royal family too, and they have to be presented as well. The same as it was here.”

 

Tygra’s ears stood up in alarm and he almost gaped at his friend.

 

“Why? I mean… I’m not Claudus heir… My cubs are not in line of succession, and…”

 

Cheetara scowled and interrupted the tiger.

 

“How can you say that, Tygra? You are Claudus’ eldest son. Even if Lion-O is heir apparent, now that you are mated into another royal line, your cubs have taken your place as heir presumptive, you know that.”

 

Tygra was speechless. Bengali frowned in mild-worry. He had assumed that Tygra was fine with presenting his cubs to the Thunderian council. After all, Cheetara was right. They were also part of the Thunderian royal family and had the right to be considered in the line of succession.

 

“She’s right Tygra, they are…”

 

“No.” Tygra said with finality. Bengali lifted his eyebrows and Cheetara looked at his friend in confusion.

 

“What? Tygra…”

 

“No. They are not any kind of heirs, and they are not in line to Thundera’s throne. Lion-O will have his own cubs, and they are the ones who will be presented before the council. Neither Itzamma nor Akbal would ever have any position of power in Thundera’s government, so they do not need to be presented.”

 

“But… Tygra you can’t know that. If something happens to Lion-O…”

 

“No, Chee! Nothing is going to happen to Lion-O. My cubs do not need to put foot in Thundera, and they won’t!”

 

He stomped down the hall towards his rooms, leaving Cheetara and Bengali behind to try to figure out what had happened.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

That evening, Tygra was nestled in his puff with all three cubs. He had Akbal and Ixchel at his sides, and Itzamma resting on his chest. The three were sleeping quietly, and Tygra was caressing Itzamma’s head, playing with the soft locks of mane that was really starting to grow long.

 

He was practically dozing when he heard Jareid’s steps from the study. He sighed in relief, and then scowled in annoyance at the mere notion that he had been waiting for his mate. What the hell was wrong with him? What could he possibly want Jareid for? He was enjoying some quiet time with his cubs. Jareid’s loud presence would only disrupt it.

 

Nonetheless, he still looked up and breathed deeply in Jareid’s essence when the jaguar leaned over him to kiss his lips. He felt more relaxed. Safer. And that annoyed him, and he decided to ignore both feelings in favour of scowl and growl at his mate when he tried to pick up Itzamma. Jareid frowned and then looked puzzled at the tiger’s attitude.

 

“I see Ben’s point now.”

 

Tygra felt even more annoyed and bared his teeth at the jaguar.

 

“About what?”

 

“He told me that you had a weird reaction earlier this day, and he couldn’t decide if somehow I was at fault for it or not.”

 

Tygra huffed in anger.

 

“Does Ben always tell you every single thing I do?”

 

“No. Only when you’re upset and he thinks it’s my fault.”

 

That mollified the tiger somewhat. Ben had taken the role of family, and he was looking after Tygra’s well-being. It suddenly occurred to him that it had been almost two years since he had last seen his father, and not once in all that time the lion had given any sign that he had worried about Tygra’s well-being. Not even a personal message sent by proxy, besides the short “do your duty” speech that Yabin had delivered on the day of the ceremony. He had in fact not even bothered to inform Tygra of the convenient loophole that could have allowed him to return home.

 

The anger returned. No one had seen fit to make sure that Tygra understood every single nuisance of the mating ritual, before it was consummated. He understood that Baal had had no interest in making him aware of the ritual’s only flaw, the jaguar king would have ordered Bengali to shut up and Jareid surely didn’t even have thought about it, but his father _had known_. He had known, and he had not seen fit to make sure that Tygra had been informed about it. Besides the point that Claudus had had no way to know that the jaguars had invented a procedure for a male to get pregnant, the fact was that Tygra had spent an entire year trying to cope with the utter despair of being away from his home with no way to get back. EVER. That hurt. It was hurting in a way that Tygra didn’t really understand. The fact that no one but Bengali had seemed to care about what he had been feeling. And it seemed that the situation had not really changed.

 

He tried to hug both Itzamma and Ixchel with one arm, and Akbal with the other, while he averted his eyes from Jareid.

 

“It’s not. Not this time.”

 

Jareid cocked his head to the side. He had a moment to feel marvelled at the fact that he could say that Tygra needed reassurance, before plummet down into frustration at not knowing what exactly he had to do to provide it. He settled for scratching the tiger’s head and making him look up again.

 

“If it’s not my fault, then what made you so upset?”

 

Tygra debated with himself for a moment if he should tell Jareid what was bothering him. He was not sure he could express it with words, and certain that his mate was not going to understand anyway. But he supposed that Jareid would be told about the next meeting in Thundera, and who knew what he would think of the situation. Maybe it was best if he just told him, if only to be clear about what they were going to do.

 

“Cheetara asked me if I was going to take my cubs to Thundera for the council meeting. It is the day after tomorrow, and apparently I have to present them, the same way we did here.”

 

Jareid’s face darkened. He stood upright and clenched his fists, barely suppressing a growl. His first reaction was to say that there was no reason for them to take their cubs to Thundera, they didn’t have to be presented before anyone there. But he remembered that Tygra had wanted his father to meet his cubs, so he thought that the tiger was subtly reminding him of his promise. He gritted his teeth, but managed to answer tonelessly.

 

“Fine. Though I would have preferred to wait a bit more, but it’s important for you…”

 

“I don’t want to go.”

 

Jareid stopped and blinked twice. He turned towards Tygra again in puzzlement.

 

“Sorry?”

 

The tiger was grooming Itzamma’s mane again, and didn’t look up.

 

“I know that I made you promise that you will take us, but I changed my mind. There’s no reason for us to stress them with such a journey.”

 

Jareid cocked his head to the side and licked his lips.

 

“So, do you want to wait for them to be older to take them?” ‘ _Much older_.’ He wished privately, thinking that perhaps his tiger’s instincts were urging him to keep the young cubs safe. But Tygra shook his head and answered, still with his attention focused on Itzamma.

 

“No. I don’t want to take them at all. They would never have to do anything in Thundera, much less have any responsibility there, so there’s no need for them to even know about it, or for anyone there to see them. They can live happily the rest of their days without setting foot outside the jungle.”

 

Jareid made a face between a frown and half a smile. Something. Something was not right. He knew that this was not the reaction that had been expected from Tygra. The tiger should be excited, or at least showing some enthusiasm upon the prospect of getting to visit his family’s home, but that was… not happening. The jaguar could see the source of Bengali’s confusion, and that worried him for a moment, because if the white tiger didn’t understand then who was going to explain to him what was happening?

 

It was just a brief moment of shock though, before happiness at his mate thinking the same as him won over, and Jareid decided that he didn’t care why the tiger had chosen to keep their cubs away from Thundera. He was going to support it.

 

Tygra lifted one eye towards Jareid to assess the jaguar’s reaction, and he could see the exact moment when his mate understood that he didn’t have to take his family out of Ix-Maal. The frown disappeared and the smile took over. He almost sprung while walking back the few steps that he had taken away from the puff, and leaned over Tygra to kiss him soundly on the lips. The tiger was a bit surprised, but opened his mouth obediently to allow Jareid’s tongue entrance. He could smell the satisfaction radiating from the older prince, and sighed in relief. Jareid was not going to ask him questions. He had just given the jaguar what he wanted, and being the egotistical bastard he was, there won’t be any inquiry about why Tygra had changed his mind. Jareid wouldn’t really care about his mate’s emotional dilemma, he would only care that Tygra had made the decision he wanted him to. And for once, Tygra was perfectly fine with it.

 

 


	24. Formalities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  

Of course, Baal decided to be unreasonable and didn’t agree with the princes’ point of view. The cubs had to be presented before Thundera’s council. It was the right way to proceed with any member of the nobles’ families. They were heirs presumptive to the throne and Baal was not going to let that go unrecognised. Besides, the peace treaty demanded implicitly that both parties had to acknowledge the union’s descendants, and the jaguar clan was not going to allow anything that Claudus could later use to claim foul play, or accuse them of treachery.

 

The king had a very serious talk with his son, and Jareid left the royal rooms roaring in anger, and thus everyone else avoided him for the rest of the day. Tygra was annoyed and very frustrated. Really! The one time that he had counted on Baal’s tendency to accommodate to his son’s wishes, and the jaguar decided to enforce the law! It wasn’t fair! It was just as unfair that Cheetara was now fully convinced that Baal could have been persuaded to let Tygra go, no matter his son’s whims. She was as a result pretty upset with Tygra and Bengali, and she made a point of informing the white tiger that she held him responsible of misleading her prince. Bengali didn’t see the use of protesting innocence, and he allowed Cheetara to continue being upset. He was more worried over Tygra’s reaction, and what could be the young tiger’s reasons for not wanting to visit his home.

 

Lion-O was also worried, but he understood his brother’s discomfort a bit better. He tried to reassure his brother that it was ok to go visit Thundera. He was not going to resent any of his nephews if the council declared them suitable heirs. No one could take them away from Tygra on any grounds, and thus the tiger would make sure that Thundera’s court wouldn’t influence his cubs. Also, their father surely had had enough time to reconsider his posture regarding the cubs, and meet them would be a good approach for him to accept them. Tygra felt much better after talking to his brother, but he was still upset and a bit fearful to confront Claudus. The hurt hadn’t gone away yet, and he didn’t trust himself to react properly once in Thundera. But his inner struggle was useless. Baal gave the order, and everyone was ready to go early in the morning of the designated day.

 

Tygra boarded the ship morosely. He didn’t want to go. He didn’t want to look at his father in the face and accept that he had chosen not to fight Jareid. He didn’t want to show his cubs in front of the court and have the nobles criticize them for their lineage, only to gossip later that maybe one of them could make a better heir for the kingdom. Most of all, he didn’t want to know what his father was capable of if he really wanted his cubs gone.

 

Tygra pressed his lips and stopped just in front of the open door of the ship. He had Itzamma on his arms, and was trying to calm himself with his cub’s smell. He turned around and nodded to Lion-O, Snarf, and Yeana, who were waving farewell from the entrance to the courtyard.

 

Lion-O had refused to go, and Baal had allowed him to stay. Which had made Jareid furious. The jaguar prince could not accept that his father was granting someone else’s wishes instead of his! Why he had to take his family to Thundera and the little lion got to stay behind safe and sound? It had taken both Bengali and Tygra to explain that Baal was not catering to the lion heir’s whims. He was just being cautious, and was even ensuring the cubs’ safety. Jareid however could not see how, and he just grumbled in annoyance.

 

Tygra sighed and waved at his brother. A hand pushing at his lower back got him moving, and he finally walked inside the ship. Once there, he took a minute to look around and lift an eyebrow in mild surprise. This wasn’t a battleship like the one he had boarded in Thundera. This cabin had a big window on one side, and rows of comfortable looking seats along it.

 

Tygra walked towards a pair of seats and took the one closer to the window. He sat gingerly on it and grimaced at the pain on his bottom. He cursed mentally. He was too sore to be sitting down. He gritted his teeth and tried to find a more comfortable position. He ended up sitting slightly sideways and growling in discomfort. Someone handed him a fluffy pillow and Jareid showed him how to move the back of the seat down, so he could recline. Tygra put the pillow under himself and reclined the seat enough to relieve the pressure on his lower back and sighed.

 

Both he and Jareid had been very angry, and frustrated the previous night. The tension had finally degenerated into violence and a session of angry sex on the floor of their rooms. They just had to vent their frustration on something, and so they had turned it onto themselves. Tygra had even felt relieved. He had been able to rage without any restraint or consideration for the other’s safety.

 

The tiger couldn’t help but smirk when Jareid growled and arched his back before letting it rest again on the backseat. He was sure that his jaguar counterpart was sporting some impressive claw marks along his shoulder blades, and even a bite or two, besides the very evident mating mark on his neck. Tygra groaned and readjusted Itzamma on his arms. Last night had been cathartic in a way, but he had ended up under Jareid once again. This time he had not minded the pain. It had been almost a relief, like when he had shredded his own arms with his claws. The pain had soothed him, centred him in some way. He felt like he had accepted the mating all over again. He had accepted that he was Jareid’s sub.

 

The cat in question put a hand on his arm and pressed a bit. Tygra turned his head to face him. Jareid looked pensive.

 

“Are you hurt?”

 

Tygra thought about it, then shrugged.

 

“Not too much. I’m fine. Where are my cubs?”

 

He lifted his head to see past Jareid at the carrycot beside their seats, where Saixa was lying down a sleeping Ixchel. She smiled at him.

 

“Akbal is right here too. They’re as comfortable as in their crib, don’t worry.”

 

She extended her arms, asking for Itzamma, but Tygra scowled and hugged his little cub against his chest, lying back on the seat. Itzamma’s presence was calming him, and he didn’t want to give it up yet. Saixa lifted an eyebrow, but nodded in acceptance and took her seat alongside Bengali, behind the couple.

 

Tygra turned to look around the seat at the very pissed off shaman, who narrowed his eyes at him. Tygra blushed and barely suppressed a yelp. He went back to his previous position feeling somehow chastised. Bengali had been furious that morning, when he had come across a barely walking Tygra, and had forced painkillers on him. He had only refrained from tearing off on Jareid when he had seen the deep gashes on the jaguar’s back. He was still very unhappy that the two of them had hurt each other in such a way and was saving a serious scolding for when they came back.

 

Tygra felt embarrassed. More so because everyone had openly stared at the deep purple mating marks that both princes now sported. Tygra had wanted to cover his, but Jareid had plainly refused to let him. He had decided to have their relationship displayed in the open for everyone to see, daring anyone to say a word.

 

Cheetara had been livid. Tygra just knew that she had been close to give Jareid the excuse he wanted to release his anger on someone else. Thankfully Lion-O had pointed out the equally vicious looking mark on Jareid’s neck. She had stopped upon noticing it, and had been clearly thrown out of her game. She had looked resentfully at Tygra, but had kept her thoughts to herself. The tiger didn’t think it was going to get any better than that.

 

Jareid put a possessive hand on Tygra’s thigh as the ship turned on and began to ascend. Tygra looked at his very tense mate and rested a hand over the jaguar’s extended arm. Jareid’s face turned towards him and leaned over to kiss his lips hungrily. He was beyond upset. He felt like he was taking his entire household into dangerous territory. He hadn’t dared to leave Bengali or Saixa behind. He knew that the shaman would be the best guard for his mate and his cubs. Saixa was going to help with the little ones, and to provide support for Tygra. She could deflect any gossip that the court intended to pass, so his tiger would be more shielded.

 

Tygra sighed into his mate’s mouth and gave him a rueful smile.

 

“It’s fine Jareid. I promised. I won’t leave you.”

 

Jareid pressed his lips in a tight line. Only Tygra could see the real fear in his blue eyes. Itzamma moved in his father’s arms and threw away the light blanket that was covering him. Tygra pulled him up to rest the little head against his chest. Itzamma looked up at his dad’s face and frowned, then turned towards his other father, and finally rested his head on the tiger’s shoulder. His tiny hands wandered a bit and then one little arm went down as his right fist found the way into his mouth.

 

Tygra kissed his son’s head lovingly, and Jareid smiled at the little cub, who seemed focused on sucking his tiny fist.

 

“Doesn’t he need a change?”

 

“No.” Said Tygra after checking quickly. “It’s so weird for him to stay awake this long. He has not closed his eyes since I fed him earlier.”

 

Tygra moved his cub away from his body to give a better look at him. Itzamma didn’t protest, but he moved his left hand to his ear, and glared straight at Tygra. The tiger lifted an eyebrow and pulled his cub against his chest again. Itzamma quickly resumed his previous position.

 

“He looks upset. I wonder what’s bothering him.”

 

Jareid caressed his cub’s cheek and the vibrant grey-blue eyes looked at him intensely.

 

“Of course he’s upset. He hates having to go to Thundera. Just like me.”

 

Tygra chuckled and turned his face to his mate.

 

“How could he hate Thundera? He has never been there! He has never been anywhere outside the palace in fact. How could he know where we’re going?”

 

“He doesn’t have to know where we’re heading to.” Said Jareid, affronted. “He knows it’s not home, and that’s enough for him to hate it.”

 

Tygra looked bewildered at the thought that his three months old cub somehow knew that they were travelling away from his home. He shook his head to rid it from such ridiculous idea, and huffed at the jaguar.

 

“It’s more likely that he’s sensing that _we_ are upset, and he doesn’t know why.”

 

Jareid looked at him seriously.

 

“Of course he knows why. I was very clear when I ranted about it in the nursery yesterday.”

 

“Jareid, Itzamma is too young to understand what we’re talking about.”

 

The jaguar prince looked at his son again and frowned.

 

“Who told you that? He doesn’t talk yet, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not understanding us.”

 

Tygra shook his head again, and kissed his cub’s head once more. Jareid was so stubborn. Tygra only hoped that he was not too disappointed if Itzamma didn’t live up to his expectations. Some of Jareid’s ideas were really disturbing if one thought about them too much.

 

The trip went on without incident. Tygra even slept for some time, and Jareid put Itzamma in the carrycot with his siblings, so his mate could rest more comfortably. As soon as they landed Tygra woke up, and looked out the window with some apprehension. They were inside the palace’s grounds this time as Baal thought it prudent to avoid going through the city.

 

While the ship’s engines were turning off everyone started to stand up and stretch. Tygra winced as the pain in his lower back reappeared, but ignored it with a low growl and approached the carrycot. It was cold in Thundera this time of the year and so he had taken the warmest blankets he could find for his cubs. He also had packed the full body suits, and hats that Cheetara had given him for them. Saixa had already changed all three cubs, and she had the fluffy blankets ready.

 

Tygra smiled at his little ones, and caressed their heads. Itzamma was still awake and had both tiny feet in a firm grasp with each tiny hand. He was scowling, as if he didn’t like the fact that his feet were covered. Tygra chuckled and lifted his eldest son to wrap him up in the blanket. Itzamma stretched his legs and arms and then wriggled a bit. Tygra kissed his nose tenderly.

 

“There, there. You’re such a good cub, Itzamma. We’re going to meet your other grandfather. I’m sure he’ll like you very much.”

 

Tygra really hoped that he was telling the truth, because he didn’t know what he was going to do if his father showed the slightness bit of resentment towards his cubs. Let alone any distaste. He passed Itzamma over to Jareid and lifted Akbal, who remained asleep. Saixa had Ixchel, and all of them were ready to go down.

 

Baal obviously descended first, followed by Jareid, Tygra and their entourage, and finally the rest of the councillors and guards. Tygra was very grateful for Jareid’s hand on his back. He felt like he would stop and turn around without the support. Bengali was close behind him, and Saixa was at Jareid’s other side, taking the place commonly reserved for a consort on purpose. Ben had the hood of his cloak over his head, as he didn’t want to attract too much attention. They had agreed that no one was going to mention the fact that he was also a tiger if the Thunderians didn’t make any comments. The simpler the meeting flowed, the best.

 

Cheetara went to walk in front of their delegation as soon as the Thunderian guards received them, and they were guided to the throne room.

 

Tygra felt his nervousness arising again. He kept his eyes downcast and let Jareid’s presence guide him. He only risked a look side-ways to check on Itzamma. His yellow cub was sitting upright on Jareid’s arm, leaning on the right side of the jaguar, with his tiny hands in a tight grip on Jareid’s tunic. He was looking over his father’s shoulder, moving his little head around in wonder. Tygra smiled a bit. He still was worried over Itzamma’s lack of activity, but Bengali had made the last check up thoroughly, and had pointed out several of Itzamma’s reactions that indicated that he was indeed healthy. He was only quieter than the average cub, and very observant. That had quelled some of the tiger’s fears, but he still thought that his older cub needed more stimulation.

 

Akbal started to stir when they entered the throne room, and king Claudus formally received them. The two kings gave each other the customary greetings, and then Tygra felt Bengali’s push on his back signalling that his father’s attention was on him. He gulped and stepped forwards along with Jareid. He heard his mate presenting his family formally, and gave a deep breath to calm his nerves while he uncovered his cub’s head completely, so everyone could clearly distinguish his colouring. He knew that Jareid and Saixa would do the same to the other two cubs. Saixa had been in fact ordered to make sure that everyone could see that Ixchel resembled a tiger cub almost perfectly.

 

“Tygra.”

 

He shuddered at his father’s voice. He tightened his grip on Akbal and lifted his face to look at the king. He ignored the sharp intake of breath at the side, which indicated that Jaga had noticed Ixchel, and focused on his father’s reaction. He made a nod with his head and readjusted Akbal’s blanket so everyone could see him better.

 

“Father, I…”

 

He was supposed to say something official, but the protocol slipped his mind. Claudus’ eyes looked so intense and hard, and Tygra had to remind himself that he had done nothing wrong.

 

“These are my cubs. Mine and my mate’s. Procreated to seal the pact between our clans. I brought them here to receive your acknowledgement.”

 

He lifted Akbal a bit and the deep blue eyes looked up at the impressive figure of the lion. The little cub babbled for a second before yawning and turning against his father’s body to cuddle.

 

Claudus looked at the black cub for a moment before moving to inspect the blond cub that Jareid held. The jaguar had readjusted the cub’s position in such a way that he was sitting on the adult cat’s arm, back resting against his father’s chest. Jareid was holding his cub’s front with his other arm and Itzamma had a firm grasp on it. Claudus barely repressed a frown when he found the cub looking directly back at him. The tiny bluish eyes were staring unblinkingly and seriously. It made him feel uncomfortable and he moved on to the cub that the female jaguar was holding. Here, he couldn’t hide his surprise. This was definitely Tygra’s cub. Even if he could doubt the boys’ paternity, there was no denying that Tygra had fathered the girl.

 

He clenched his teeth. Tygra would never abandon a cub that was so obviously his. Though maybe they still could get both the tiger and his daughter out of Ix-Maal, even now that the twins had survived. After all, a female couldn’t be heir. He looked at the boys again and for a second lamented the fact that Cheetara hadn’t had a chance to follow her orders. Then he scowled in anger at himself, and almost growled. He had had enough time to think things over and start to feel guilty.

 

The truth was that Lion-O had used the communication device when Tygra had been taken to the shaman’s wing due to complications with the pregnancy. It had turned out that they had had to take the twins out, and they had been born before time. But Lion-O had been very scared at the moment, and he had yelled at Claudus and held him ultimately responsible for whatever could have happened to Tygra. Lion-O wasn’t a fool, and though Cheetara had never told him anything he knew that she had had orders. He had inferred that those orders had been directed to get rid of Tygra’s and Jareid’s bond in some way. He had called Claudus a liar and a hypocrite. The lion king had always preached to Lion-O about how a king should never sacrifice an innocent for his own gain, and there he had been, trying to harm two innocent cubs with complete disregard to his own son’s health. The young lion had been distraught enough to threaten with never returning to Thundera if his brother or any of his nephews died as a result of whatever madness Claudus had ordered. His rant had managed to get both Claudus and Jaga thinking about what they had been doing, and to realize that neither of them had known how a _male_ body would react to the toxins designed to kill an unborn cub. It could very well have been deadly, and they could have lost Tygra for real.

 

Claudus looked at his son, and noticed the anxiousness and hesitation. Cheetara had informed that Tygra had not wanted to go to Thundera, though she hadn’t known why. The king could see the apprehension in his son’s posture, but was hoping that it had more to do with the jaguar prince’s proximity than because of him. He didn’t want to consider the possibility that Tygra might be afraid of him.

 

He turned to Baal’s relaxed form, and wanted to growl at the jaguar’s smirking face. How he loathed admitting defeat.

 

“You understand that I want my clerics to confirm the parenthood before giving my statement.”

 

Tygra tensed. He had been expecting it. They were going to follow every step of the protocol, and the cub’s parentage needed to be confirmed by the most infallible authority that both clans had access to. In the lion’s case that meant that the clerics got to check the cubs and determine lineage. Tygra made an effort to relax. He had known that the clerics’ test would be unavoidable, and that Claudus was going to ask for it. But listening to the actual words was disturbing. For a moment they made him feel that his word was not good enough for Claudus. Baal answered the lion king as he was supposed to.

 

“Of course. You’re free to order whatever test you trust most to confirm their heritage.” The jaguar king then looked pointedly towards the young couple, specifically to his son, and his voice changed tone slightly, turning his next words into a clear order. “You may do it in private of course. I’m sure that our sons would have no problem in entrusting your clerics with their cubs’ well-being.”

 

Tygra held his breath. They had talked about, and in a way rehearsed, this part several times beforehand. Jareid had had previous advice and plenty of time to accept that he would have to hand his cubs over. Of course he had not liked it, and it had only fuelled his anger over the entire visit. Tygra could feel the growl that was about to surge from Jareid’s throat.

 

_‘Please, please, don’t blow up, please…’_

 

He leaned slightly on his mate’s flank, hoping to ground the very tense cat. Jareid stopped himself from snapping, and managed to turn the growl into actual words.

 

“Fine. As long as my mate can witness the procedures.”

 

Tygra prayed that his father would accept this. It had been the only way to convince Jareid to subject to the protocol. It’d be easier to keep the jaguar from making a scene if he wouldn’t have to leave his cubs completely alone with the clerics. Granted, he didn’t like to leave Tygra out of his sight either, but he trusted the tiger enough to know that he’ll never do anything that would put the cubs in danger. Besides, the plan was that Bengali would have to follow him as his personal guard and healer.

 

Claudus didn’t see a problem with his son tagging along. This was the opportunity to get him away from the jaguars’ influence. He wanted to talk with his son and see for himself if there was any damage to be repaired. Cheetara seemed to think that Tygra had resented too much the lack of communication with his father, and Claudus prayed that this was not true. He preferred to believe that Tygra was not in good terms with his mate, and that he still wanted a chance to return home.

 

“Tygra is allowed as witness of course. As he’s part of both households he’s considered neutral.”

 

Tygra breathed in relief. A gesture that was not overlooked by either king. Baal however felt sure that his counterpart was probably misunderstanding the reason.

 

The young tiger covered his cub again and put the little hat on, then he stepped forwards at the same time that Saixa was handing Ixchel over to Cheetara. Jaga signalled with his head for the prince to approach him, figuring that he would be carrying one of the cubs. Surprisingly, Tygra turned towards the shaman, who had advanced with him, and gave Akbal to him. He then approached Jareid and extended his arms for his blond cub. Jareid glared at the Thunderians, and carefully passed his first son over to his mate’s waiting arms. He leaned over at the same time and whispered some words into Tygra’s ears.

 

“Ben is going to be there. Remember that you promised.”

 

Tygra nodded and licked Jareid’s mark quickly before exposing his neck so the jaguar could do the same. Jareid sucked at the mark and let go sooner than he would have liked. Claudus glared at the jaguar prince, who glared back in challenge. Jaga cleared his throat to remind his king that they should all play nice to each other, and Claudus swore that he would confront the prince later. He definitely didn’t like the purple mark on Tygra’s neck.

 

The two princes stepped apart at last, and Tygra secured his son on his arms. He tried to get Itzamma horizontal, but the cub wriggled unhappily and kept trying to lift himself upright. Tygra ended up moving him, so the little head was on the tiger’s shoulder. Once his son was seemingly comfortable, Tygra looked towards his father to signal that they were ready. Claudus however sent a pointed look towards Bengali. Jaga approached the shaman, evidently expecting to receive the cub that the other cat was holding. But Bengali gave a step back, positioning himself slightly behind Tygra. Claudus gritted his teeth and was about to demand the cub when Tygra spoke up.

 

“Bengali here is our personal healer. I’d like him to come with us. He could answer any question Jaga could have about my cubs’ health.”

 

Claudus narrowed his eyes. Cheetara had mentioned a white tiger among the shamans. One that had earned Tygra’s trust. However, she wasn’t so sure about the shaman’s true loyalties. He looked towards the cheetah, who nodded, and then to Jaga, who also gave his agreement. The cleric wanted some time close to this new tiger. It was an opportunity to have a better feel of a shaman’s magic, and he would be able to probe for information. Claudus looked displeased, but nodded curtly.

 

“As long as he doesn’t interfere with the proceedings.”

 

Tygra smiled in relief and answered happily.

 

“He won’t.”

 

Jareid crossed his arms and continued glaring at the king, as he had no other acceptable way to express his anger. Baal ignored his son’s antics and smirked inwardly. Bringing Bengali had been a good idea. He had known that Cheetara would have had to report the white tiger’s existence to Claudus, and the lion king had to be curious. Surely they would love to have a few words with the shaman, especially the cleric. Baal didn’t see why he shouldn’t make things easy for the Thunderians. They would probably try to sway Tygra’s decision, and maybe to gain Bengali’s sympathy, but Baal wasn’t worried. Tigers were loyal to a fault, and once they had decided where their loyalties lied it was nearly impossible to make them change their minds. And Baal was certain that Bengali’s loyalty was with Jareid. He was not so certain about Tygra, but he believed that the young tiger was more loyal to his brother than to his father. Speaking of whom, Claudus looked around a last time and his frown deepened. After some seconds of not finding what he was looking for, he started to growl and turned towards Baal with bared teeth.

 

“Where is Lion-O?”

 

Tygra, who had started to walk towards the back entrance to the throne room, stopped cold. He almost gaped at his father, realizing that the king had just noticed his youngest son’s absence. Baal scowled as if wondering why he was being asked such a question. Then he looked around at his entourage, and his posture suddenly brightened as if he was just remembering something.

 

“Oh, yes. The little lion thought you needed time alone with his brother and insisted on staying behind. I saw no real harm on it, since he’s perfectly safe with my queen.”

 

“He what?!” Claudus almost roared, and Tygra bit his lips. He could clearly see that his father was furious. “He knew how important this meeting was! He needed to be present to acknowledge his kin formally. He’s heir apparent!”

 

“But his presence is not vital really, is it? He won’t cease to be the crown heir after all, and is not as if he hadn’t already met his nephews and niece.”

 

Claudus was incensed. He turned to Cheetara and growled. “Is it true, that he just decided not to come?”

 

The young cleric gave a suffering sigh, scowled while turning her eyes to the side, and nodded. Tygra frowned at her. It had been two years since he had seen that particular gesture. It was the one that every single one of their tutors had made when asked for the lion’s progress. The one that meant that they had tried their best, but the young kit had just refused to see reason. Claudus roared again and Baal spoke calmly.

 

“Really Claudus, I don’t see why you’re so upset. The boy only wished for his brother to enjoy his visit. He didn’t want to distract your attention, seeing that it has been two years since you last spoke with your adopted son. He’ll have all the time in the world to bond with his nephews and niece once they’re safely back home.”

 

Well, there was the veiled threat. Tygra felt the urge to roll his eyes. He didn’t like that Baal was using his brother as leverage to keep the upper hand, but as his cubs’ safety was the main issue there, he couldn’t bring himself to be truly upset over it. Besides, Lion-O _had insisted_ in staying. The young lion still didn’t have a good grasp on politics to understand the implications of his decision at their fullest. Tygra decided that he should talk about it with his brother. It was unfair that everyone got angry with the lion heir for not acting like they thought he should, when no one had taken the time, or patience, to really explain to him the how’s and why’s of politics and diplomacy.

 

Claudus clenched his teeth. He noticed Jareid’s expression changing to mild confusion, and finally to a satisfied smirk. It seemed that the jaguar prince had not really given Lion-O’s absence much thought, contrary to his father. He cursed under his breath at the notion that Baal always seemed to be a step in front of everything. He felt angry at Lion-O for having unwittingly leaned the scales in Baal’s favour. He didn’t think that his son had done that on purpose. No. Lion-O had acted without thinking about the consequences, as always!

 

He turned around angrily and directed the waiting group of cats towards the back door. They’d get the official test out of the way and later he’d have some words with that treacherous jaguar!

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra followed his father apprehensively. He didn’t like that the lion king was so angry. He didn’t want any decisions that could be involving his cubs to be tainted by that anger. He wanted at least the opportunity of his father really accepting his cubs as grandchildren. He tightened his hold on Itzamma slightly as the little boy bit his shoulder fiercely. He still had no teeth, so it wasn’t painful, but Tygra considered it a sign that his cub was distressed. He tried to relax and rubbed Itzamma’s back consolingly. He looked over to his little girl in Cheetara’s arms and reassured himself that she continued sleeping.

 

They had given Ixchel to Cheetara specifically because it was more likely that Claudus would relate her to Tygra immediately. After all she was the cub that looked the most like him. Claudus would be less inclined to try anything with her. He would feel certain of her parentage, as ironic as that was. Besides, Jareid would never have tolerated any of the Thunderians carrying one of his twins. Hence the need for Bengali to go with them. The shaman was perfectly capable to frustrate any attack that could be aimed at them. So, Tygra felt reassured that Akbal was safe with his friend, and he hoped as well that no one would dare take Itzamma from him.

 

He took a deep breath and kissed his cub’s forehead. He needed to be calm. His cub was probably resenting his stress, and he couldn’t let that happen.

 

They walked leisurely through the palace’s halls and corridors, until they arrived to Jaga’s domain. The Clerisy seemed to be surprisingly empty. They didn’t encounter a soul in the entire walk, which helped Tygra to relax a bit more. They entered a room that served as Jaga’s personal clinic. Tygra breathed deeply in the known smell of relaxing herbs and incense. Itzamma sneezed and scrunched his face, pressing it against his dad’s clothes. Ben chuckled.

 

“I think he doesn’t like the smell. It must be the incense.”

 

Tygra frowned. He didn’t like when Itzamma showed any kind of discomfort. He was worried enough for his cub as it was.

 

“It’s not going to be harmful for any of them, is it?”

 

“Of course not.” Answered Jaga calmly. “Both you and your brother have been visiting since you were newborns, and there never were any problems.”

 

Tygra nodded. Though he particularly hadn’t been a resident of Thundera’s palace as a newborn cub, he knew what Jaga meant.

 

Claudus put one hand on Tygra’s shoulder to attract his attention. The tiger looked at him still with a shadow of apprehension. The lion could see that his son still wasn’t at ease and wondered if they really had managed to make Tygra distrust his own family.

 

“I think we can talk while Jaga finishes here. There are many things that I wish you to tell me.”

 

Tygra gave a tense smile and nodded. Now that he had his father in front of him, he wanted to talk to him. To know once and for all if the lion still considered him a son, even after he had decided to follow the path that the jaguars had wanted. He was very nervous, but he needed to do it for his own peace of mind. He sent a knowing look Bengali’s way, and turned towards Claudus upon receiving an answering nod from the shaman. He gave two steps before a raised eyebrow from his father and Jaga’s cough at his back stopped him.

 

“Prince Tygra, your cub?” Said Jaga with a hint of amusement. Tygra blushed, turning around to face the cleric, who extended his arms asking for the cub. The tiger gulped and pressed his lips tightly, not wanting to let go of Itzamma.

 

“Couldn’t you start with the other two? Leave him for the end? He doesn’t react very well to strangers, and I really don’t want to leave him alone.”

 

Jaga lifted an eyebrow and Cheetara frowned. She sent a cursory glance to Bengali to see if the white tiger looked offended, but the shaman didn’t react. Tygra seemed to realize what he just said and blushed even more.

 

“I-I mean… I don’t really like to leave him out of my sight, and this is a new place for him…”

 

Claudus sighed and his hand returned to the young cat’s shoulder, tightening its hold. Tygra tried not to flinch.

 

“Son, you know that your cubs are safe here. No one is going to harm them. Even if your brother had not taken upon himself to ensure their well-being, they would have been perfectly safe in Jaga’s hands. I trust that you know this.”

 

“I-I do… I…” Tygra gave a deep breath. He was letting his own anxiousness to cloud his mind. Jaga would never harm a defenceless cub. Right? Besides, Bengali was there, and he wouldn’t let anything happen to Jareid’s cubs. He however felt very grateful to Lion-O for wanting to stay behind. The certainty that no one present would dare harming his cubs was helping him at the moment. He forced himself to approach the cleric and eyed the examination table distrustfully. It was no different from the one that Bengali used. A plain table padded with leather as sterile as could be. There were no weird machines around, but Jaga had never needed them. Magic was enough for the old cleric.

 

Tygra kissed his son and mentally repeated to himself that Jaga was not going to find anything wrong with Itzamma. He frowned suddenly, thinking that maybe that was his fear. Not only because Itzamma was his first born, and his test was the important one for the treaty, but also because of Tygra’s own worries about his cub’s health. Maybe he feared that Jaga would find something that the shamans had not, or hadn’t wanted to tell him. He admonished himself to stop being stupid and lied Itzamma down on the table. He fought a bit to disentangle his clothes from the fierce hold that his cub had on them, but finally he straightened and caressed his son’s cheek.

 

“It’s ok Itzamma, I’ll be back in a minute.”

 

The little cub stared at him and started sucking his fist. Tygra smiled and decided that his son was calm enough. However, when he pulled apart from the table, Itzamma started to wriggle. Tygra pressed his lips tightly and stopped. Jaga took his place at the table and waved his hand, signalling that he could go. Claudus’ hand closed around his arm, and subtly but firmly encouraged him to turn around and leave Jaga to do what he had to. The tiger sighed and started to walk towards the door when Itzamma gave a mighty scream and started to cry in earnest.

 

Everyone jumped, including Jaga who didn’t know what had prompted such a reaction from the cub. He hadn’t done anything but push the little hat covering the cub’s head higher, so he could touch the crown of the cub’s forehead. Tygra would have run to retrieve his son if Claudus’ hand on his arm hadn’t been still holding him. Almost two seconds later, Akbal and Ixchel started to cry too, both of them startled by their sibling’s wails. Ben put Akbal over his shoulder and rocked him up and down, trying to soothe him while at the same time he peered over Jaga’s shoulder to try and see what had happened.

 

The old cleric looked at the cub in befuddlement. The only other cub that he had confronted crying so inconsolably had been a newborn Lion-O, when they had been trying to feed him. But at least then he had known what had been the problem, while he had no idea of what he had done for Tygra’s cub to cry in the first place. The tiger was fighting with his father to let him go, so he could retrieve his cub.

 

“Tygra, it’s going to be fine. Jaga knows what he’s doing!”

 

“But he’s hurting him!”

 

“You can’t possibly believe that! Jaga would never…”

 

“Why is he crying then?”

 

Tygra dislodged his arm from his father’s grasp, but Bengali got in his way then.

 

“Ben what are you doing?”

 

“Prince Tygra, I would strongly suggest that you let the cleric finish. He has to do this anyway.”

 

“But Itzamma is hurting!”

 

“No one is hurting him. The magic is not dangerous and your cleric barely touched him.”

 

“He’s crying Ben! Itzamma never cries!”

 

“I know. But if you remember he also cried the first time I attempted to give him a bottle. He doesn’t know the cleric, that’s all. Let Jaga finish, then you can take Itzamma back and we won’t have to repeat the experience.”

 

Tygra looked anxiously towards the table where Jaga was reciting an enchantment. He had taken the opportunity of Ben talking sense to Tygra, and was trying to hurry. Itzamma was wriggling desperately and his cries had not lessened in the least. Cheetara was having troubles with Ixchel, and Akbal was also incrementing volume. Tygra knew that as long as Itzamma kept crying there would be no hope to calm down the other two.

 

Finally a bright light engulfed Itzamma’s little body and Jaga sighed tiredly. He nodded and stepped back to allow Tygra to pick up his cub. The young tiger lost no time doing it, and immediately hugged Itzamma against his chest and kissed his forehead.

 

“Shh. It’s ok Itzamma, love. It’s ok. I’m here love. You’re safe.”

 

The little cub held onto his father’s clothes for dear life and started hiccupping and whimpering in misery. Tygra glared reproachfully at Jaga. The old cleric lifted his hands in surrender, still baffled at the cub’s reaction.

 

“I swear I meant no harm Tygra. He’s perfectly fine.”

 

Tygra huffed and patted his weeping kitten softly, murmuring soothing words. Beside him, Ben had successfully gotten Akbal to stop screaming, and Claudus was trying to help Cheetara with Ixchel. The little girl was the loudest of the cubs, and the most difficult to calm down. Tygra wanted to take her, but he was not going to hand Itzamma to anyone now, so he settled for sitting down beside Cheetara and talk to his girl while the cheetah rocked her. It took some time for the cubs to stop the crying and be relaxed enough for Jaga to finish. Tygra plainly refused to leave the room without his three cubs, and Claudus sighed.

 

The cleric inspected Akbal cautiously and gingerly touched his forehead, hoping that he didn’t start the screaming all over again. Akbal however only kept staring at him and waved his little arms up and down. Jaga wanted to shrug in confusion, but he performed the spell quickly without problems. Ixchel followed. She was the easiest as she had gone back to sleep by then.

 

Once it was finished and Jaga declared all three cubs of Tygra’s bloodline, with Itzamma his direct heir, the tiger stood up and immediately walked to the door. Bengali followed him at a more sedate pace, knowing that the young tiger would have to be placated.

 

The anxious parent had to stop just outside the door, and turn around to make sure that Bengali and Cheetara had followed. Ben was at his side already, but Cheetara was still gathering her wits. Tygra’s movement had been too abrupt for her to react quickly. She looked at Claudus as if asking for permission, and Tygra all but growled at her to hurry. He wanted his mate. He wanted his cubs safe as soon as possible. Jaga was astonished at the clear instinctual response from the tiger. Only females reacted in that way with their cubs. He expressed his concern plainly, and Tygra blushed and backed off a little. Ben sighed and intervened in behalf of his young charge.

 

“You’d have to forgive the prince. Parenthood really did a number on him, and he reacts very strongly to his cubs’ distress. Itzamma’s most of all.”

 

Claudus frowned and approached his son. Tygra looked at him warily, but didn’t pull away and allowed the lion’s hand on his shoulder again. He felt somewhat disappointed that he didn’t feel the reassurance that he had used to from such a gesture. He started to wonder how much two years under Jareid’s influence had really changed him. Claudus tightened his hold and pulled Tygra against his side. The tiger was tense, but forced himself to relax a bit in his father’s embrace. He readjusted his hold on Itzamma, who still was sobbing quietly, but fortunately without more screams. Claudus looked more closely at the little cub and the way that Tygra had him over his chest, clearly trying to hide him from view.

 

“Tygra, I never wanted you to feel threatened. This is your home Tygra. We are your family. You trust us, don’t you?”

 

Tygra sighed and kissed his little son. If Itzamma had not cried everything would have gone more smoothly. He supposed that he owed his father an explanation.

 

“I’m sorry I reacted in that way. It’s just… Well, Itzamma never cries, and it was very disturbing to listen to him spilling his lungs out. Some part of me thought that he was dying or something.”

 

Claudus huffed.

 

“Well, I accept that it was very surprising. But you surely have in mind that Jaga would never hurt a cub. I doubt that you react in this same way every time one of your cubs cries.”

 

“Oh, no. Just when it’s Itzamma.”

 

Claudus frowned. He knew that parents sometimes tended to give the first born more attention, especially young parents. But Tygra had twins. Triplets, if one wanted to acknowledge the real situation, as there was only a month separating the boys from the girl. Tygra’s reactions should be more diluted between three cubs. Jaga spoke then.

 

“It’s too much anxiousness over a first born, especially when you have other two, practically of the same age, to care for. You can’t be this stressed every time he cries.”

 

“Well, as I told you before, Itzamma never cries. That’s why I reacted so strongly. Akbal and Ixchel cry normally, to call for attention and food, but not Itzamma. Actually, he has only cried once before, so… My instinct just assumed he was in danger.”

 

Claudus’ frown intensified, and Jaga focused on the infant.

 

“Just once before? Why?”

 

“Bengali tried to feed him a bottle of milk once.”

 

Everyone looked to the shaman, who shrugged.

 

“He screamed as loudly as he could. Just as he did here. I suppose he felt threatened because someone who wasn’t his parent was trying to feed him. Tygra almost kicked me out of the room. Literally.”

 

The orange tiger blushed in embarrassment, but smiled at the memory. He had been very pissed off with Ben. Jaga was pensive.

 

“It is rare for a cub to be so quiet.”

 

Tygra tightened his hold on Itzamma slightly. He could see that Jaga was curious and wanted to examine his cub more thoroughly. He wouldn’t allow it. Not after what had happened. Suddenly it was more important to keep Itzamma in his arms than have Jaga check him for possibly imaginary illnesses. Fortunately, Bengali intervened and explained some of the problems that they had had with the cubs, including some of the procedure to get Tygra pregnant. They ended up all seated in Jaga’s clinic again while Ben detailed how the twins had been borne, and the surgery they had had to perform on Itzamma. That particularity alone would have made Tygra more protective of his blond cub, add to it that the infant wouldn’t cry or do much noise at all and you could make any mother frantic. Fathers tended to be less emotional towards their cubs, but in this case Tygra had been the one pregnant. His bond with the cubs would be as strong, if not stronger than any female’s.

 

The Thunderians understood better what had transpired with the male pregnancy, and it didn’t escape to them how dangerous the procedure potentially was. Tygra could have been badly hurt. Claudus was not happy that someone had played with his son’s life so callously, but seeing how much in love his tiger was with his cubs he understood that any resentment thrown their way would be counterproductive. That however, would not deter him from yelling at Baal when he had the opportunity. The bastard!

 

Jaga wanted to ask many questions, but time was passing and they needed to get going. They had a council to attend and a long day still before them. So, the group walked back to the main building to reunite with the jaguars. Jaga continued the conversation with Bengali and Cheetara as they walked, pulling them back on purpose to give his king space to talk with Tygra in relative solitude. Ben allowed it, but he kept his guard up and the com’s connection between him and Tygra open, so he could hear if there was any trouble.

 

Claudus started to ask more specific things about Tygra’s life in the past two years. The tiger was willing to talk about his training, his tutors, and what he had seen of the city and the jungle, including Lion-O’s fascination with technology and how good he had turned out to be at it. Claudus frowned. He didn’t like the idea of Lion-O being as enamoured of tech as he was. Mainly because he believed that his son had allowed that passion to sway him into the jaguar clan’s views. He had hoped that Tygra wouldn’t be as influenced, but it seemed that even his tiger had been changing his beliefs.

 

“It seems that you have been well-treated. Even so, I’m still puzzled as to how were they able to convince you that you had to seal your fate in this way. You did know that you had a way out, didn’t you?”

 

Tygra sighed. How was he going to explain to his father that no, he had had no idea that there had been a condition that would allow him to escape the mating? That he had felt lonely, and depressed, and had had more pressing problems, namely Jareid, to deal with, and that the idea of checking out mating rituals just had never occurred to him? How was Claudus going to understand that the promise of a family of his own had been too tempting for Tygra? Most of all, how could Claudus even comprehend Jareid’s possessiveness? Tygra was certain that his father had never before had to deal with someone as intense as the jaguar prince.

 

“I… Father, I don’t think that there was any option really. I… kind of grew attached to Jareid and he to me. He’s rather possessive and he… I didn’t want any more conflict.”

 

Claudus scowled.

 

“I’m well aware of his threats to not let you go. But you knew that I wouldn’t have allowed it. Baal wouldn’t have forced the issue. He already got the satisfaction he wanted. I would have brought you home safely, and you wouldn’t have had to fear ever encountering the jaguar prince again. I doubt that Baal ever enforced his son’s threats. Cheetara would have reported it.”

 

“No. He never did. He actually involved himself very little in our affairs.”

 

“Then, why did you accept?”

 

Tygra closed his eyes and tried to not think about the desperation he had felt. Claudus was not going to accept the notion that Tygra had truly resented to be adopted for the first time in his life. Those first months in Ix-Maal had been like realizing that he had no family. Not really. He had succumbed to depression and Jareid had capitalized on it. He didn’t want to reveal his weakness to his father. So he tried to focus on his cubs instead. He thought about Jareid. The way the jaguar pinned him to the bed and his possessive words. How his eyes looked when he was vulnerable in some way. How hard he had tried to understand Tygra’s needs. The loneliness they both shared. At the end though, only one image stood up with such intensity that it made him shiver. Jareid, covered in blood, entering the shamans’ rooms to retrieve him. No matter what everyone said. In the end what mattered was that Tygra was sure of what Jareid was capable of.

 

“Jareid needs me.” He answered quietly, and looked towards his father again. “He needs me in a way that no one else has. I… I couldn’t leave him.”

 

Claudus made a disgusted gesture. All he could see was that the jaguar prince had manipulated his son expertly.

 

“That’s what they made you believe Tygra? They forced you into accepting the role of a mother using guilt and the empty threat of war! And the way Cheetara worded her report makes me think that the prince forced you into his bed too! This is not acceptable, and they are going to hear me!”

 

Tygra put a hand on his father’s arm and stopped him. His eyes were wide with anxiousness.

 

“No. Father look, I did this because I don’t want more conflict.”

 

“How can there be no conflict Tygra when they broke their word in this way? When they forced you to…”

 

“I was doing my duty. No one forced me to do that.”

 

“He forced you in other ways. And he hurt you! That much Cheetara expressed from what she was able to see. Tygra, I need you to tell me what did he do. Give me something to use to bring you back!”

 

The tiger cursed Cheetara and her protectiveness of him. He set a cursory glare her way, and realized that their company was more than a few meters away from them, most likely to give them privacy. Even so, he knew that Bengali had his ear-piece and the com on. He could listen to the conversation without any one noticing, but he was not going to interfere until Tygra called.

 

“Jareid never did anything that the treaty didn’t allow him to.”

 

“Tygra…”

 

“That’s the truth, father. They could have forced me to sire the cubs, but I accepted because I won’t have any more deaths over hurt pride.”

 

“There need not be any more deaths, the treaty just had to be followed…”

 

“And they never broke any of the conditions. There were going to be cubs whether I wanted to carry them or not. They could have easily just mixed our genes and have a female to carry an heir. Baal always knew that we would be having at least one cub because he had the technology to make it possible! And he knew that he could have forced the issue without breaking the treaty. There was never a loophole father, only you didn’t know it.”

 

Claudus clenched teeth and fists, and his eyes narrowed looking at the tiny cub that Tygra was holding.

 

“Maybe there’s still chance to make another kind of agreement…”

 

“No.” Said Tygra with finality, both arms hugging Itzamma tightly. “Don’t even mention it, I love my cubs and I won’t leave any of them. I’m not abandoning my own cubs!”

 

Claudus growled inwardly. He had hoped to convince Baal to let Tygra go if the cubs returned to Ix-Maal free of attachment. He had known that Tygra would object to that plan, but he had hoped that his son would be content if he was allowed to keep the girl and visit his sons as much as he wished. He hadn’t counted on the bond that Tygra had formed with the cubs to be so strong. He had been expecting that Tygra’s unwillingness to be a young parent would have made him reject the bond in some way. This was not the case, and he could see that Tygra was not going to accept any proposition that would keep him away from his cubs for any amount of time. Even so, he tried because he just couldn’t let this matter go without a fight.

 

“We could arrange some visits…”

 

Tygra glared murderously at him.

 

“My cubs are living with me. I don’t have any reason to want to part from them, and I’m disappointed that you of all people would suggest such a thing!”

 

He turned around, ready to call Ben and run the rest of the way to the receiving hall, where he knew the visits were attended. Claudus however grabbed him by the arms and pulled him against his own chest in a fierce hug. Tygra tensed, and for a moment felt panicked for his son. Fortunately, his father had had the presence of mind to position him a bit sideways. His right side was the one crushed to his father’s body, leaving Itzamma safely in a hollow space between them. Tygra tried to relax and moved just a bit to ensure that, while his cub was in contact with both bodies, he was not being crushed. His father sighed and talked softly.

 

“You have really grown up, you know?”

 

Tygra chuckled, and noticed that he actually could lean his forehead on his father’s shoulder now. “Well, it has been almost two years after all.”

 

“I never wanted to fail you. You deserve to be happy.”

 

The tiger sighed too. It had been an ordeal for all of them, as they hadn’t been used to be on the losing side. His father was resenting it the most.

 

“I’m fine father, really. Don’t worry about me, or Lion-O. Think of this as an alliance. It’d be good for the kingdom. There are so many things that we could use to make life easier. It’d even help with production, and the food.”

 

Claudus grunted, still very sore that he had to acknowledge another clan to be more powerful. He wanted to object the tech’s utility when he felt the cub wriggling and heard him mewling in discomfort. He looked down to see a tiny paw against his chest, trying to push him. He raised an eyebrow at the frowning face of the cub, who looked up and hissed at him. Tygra pulled away and looked at his son curiously.

 

“There, there. What’s wrong love? Did you feel too crowded?”

 

The little boy put his fist into his mouth and glared in Claudus’ direction. Tygra rubbed his back gently and kissed his head.

 

“It’s ok love. King Claudus is your grandfather too.”

 

Itzamma didn’t look impressed. He turned his tiny head around and tried to hide his face under his father’s arm. Tygra rearranged his son, so he wouldn’t be uncomfortable.

 

“He’s very nervous. He isn’t used to stay awake for so long.”

 

“I don’t think he likes me very much.”

 

“Nonsense. He’s freaked out because he doesn’t know you. It takes sometime for him to get used to new people. Saixa had to hold him with me around for three days before he accepted the milk from her. Jareid was upset. I think that he had been counting on Itzamma not accepting Saixa so he could have an excuse to send her away.”

 

_‘And to prevent me from rejoining training so soon.’_ He thought with some bitterness, but he wasn’t going to say that aloud. Truth be told, he had also been surprised that Itzamma had accepted Saixa so well. After what had happened with Ben he had been prepared for his son to deny food from any other source that wasn’t his parents. Claudus was frowning again.

 

“The female. Is she his consort?”

 

“No. Jareid doesn’t want any consorts. She’s providing the milk for the cubs, and helping take care of them. She’s going to be like a governess.”

 

“Is she the girl’s mother? I remember something about a jaguaress carrying your third cub.”

 

“No, she’s not. Ixchel’s mother… died at birth.”

 

Tygra averted his father’s eyes. He didn’t like to mention Ixchel’s mother. He didn’t feel comfortable lying, but he knew that it was best if his father didn’t know what had really happened. Claudus’ hand returned to his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s ok. Ixchel has adapted pretty well, and Saixa is a big help. I’m happy with my cubs.”

 

Claudus frowned, still not liking it. They were interrupted at that moment by Ben and Cheetara announcing that Jaga had gone ahead to prepare everything for the presentation. Tygra sighed. He supposed that it was unavoidable, and they would have to endure another nobility’s congregation and a feast. Claudus guided them to the receiving hall, so he could join the council.

 

Tygra checked on his other two cubs quickly. Ixchel continued sleeping, but Akbal had remained awake and had already figured out that he had more clothes on than he was used to. He was not happy with that revelation, and was fidgeting and trying to take his little hat off. Ben still had a firm hold on him though, and there had not been any real problems. That was likely to change soon, as Akbal was bound to feel hungry at any moment. They were already a few minutes short of the twins’ feeding time. Tygra prayed that Itzamma would accept his milk. He didn’t want a repeat performance of the ceremony at Ix-Maal, especially because they would be spending the night in Thundera.

 

It was a given that the council will acknowledge Tygra’s cubs as part of the royal family. That alone was cause for celebration. Add in that the war-treaty would transform into an alliance, and it was likely that said celebration would last well into the night. It wouldn’t matter anymore how the two clans had stumbled together. Tygra’s cubs would signify some kind of ‘reconciliation,’ and the Thunderians would want to show hospitality and no weakness to their new allies. No matter how resentful they could still be. It didn’t escape Tygra that it was a dangerous game, but the jaguars still had the upper hand, and while his brother remained in Ix-Maal they could feel more or less safe.

 

They arrived to the receiving hall to find an almost frantic Jareid, who immediately pulled Tygra and Itzamma into his arms. Bengali just sighed as his prince practically growled to Saixa to get Ixchel, and then dragged his now exasperated mate into the farthest corner. Baal shook his head at his son’s blatant display of anxiousness, and smirked at the disgruntled look on Claudus’ face. The lion evidently didn’t like the way Jareid acted, but he would have to accept it. Baal was not about allowing him to interfere.

 

Both kings crossed a few tense words before a servant announced that the council would be ready in about an hour. Plenty of time for them to settle some things. Claudus called to Tygra and told him that they had to be present in the council room in an hour, and that he and Baal would leave them alone for a while. Tygra nodded. He trusted that his father was at least convinced that he was not going to renounce to his cubs. He hoped that both felines would be prudent enough to not offend each other, or at least to avoid a bigger conflict.

 

The kings got out of the room with Baal’s councillor, High Shaman, and two guards. Cheetara also went to find Jaga and see how she could help in the preparations for the evening. That left the family relatively alone with a few guards at the door. Tygra hoped that it would calm Jareid a bit. The rest of the visit would be unbearable if the jaguar didn’t loose up.

 

Jareid took Itzamma from Tygra’s arms and checked him thoroughly to make sure that he wasn’t hurt. Itzamma looked up at him and smiled. He moved his tiny arms up and down in excitement and babbled a string of incomprehensible noises. Jareid hugged and kissed his son before pulling Tygra against his right side again. Then he made sure that Saixa had put Ixchel in the carrycot and was preparing the bottles of milk. He had spent the time pacing the room and Saixa was surprised that he hadn’t made a hole in it. He had been unable to just let his mate and cubs go with the Thunderians, even if Bengali had been with them, and had been listening the entire time with the com. Baal had had to physically restrain him a few times, especially when Itzamma had cried. It was a miracle that the situation had been kept under control and that any nasty incident had been avoided.

 

Tygra assured his mate that everything had been handled appropriately and no harm had befallen to any of them. Then he took Akbal from Bengali. The little black cub had finally managed to pull off his tiny hat and had thrown it down. He was now working into wriggling out of the fluffy blankets without much success. Tygra presented him the bottle and his current predicament was momentarily forgotten in favour of milk. Jareid gave Itzamma a bottle, and everyone was relieved when the cub sucked happily at it. The twins got fed and changed, and then they had to run to the council room for the presentation, hoping to get past the rest of the day as smoothly as possible.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

It was night already when Tygra finally entered his old room and was able to put his cubs in the carrycot. Bengali and Saixa were with him, and they made sure that the little ones were comfortable and that everything in the bedroom was in order. He was exhausted. The council had had two years to recover and it was complete again. It included the heads of all the clans under the Lord of the Thundercats’ rule, and all of them had had questions and worries to settle.

 

Technically, Baal was Lord of the Thundercats, as the Sword of Omens was now in his possession. But he was content to not take the title officially, thus leaving Claudus as acting Lord until Lion-O was of age or Jareid would want to try the Sword’s test. It was unlikely that Jareid would want to, so Lion-O would still inherit the Sword if it considered him worthy. Tygra had been able to see that many of the nobles had not been happy. They would clearly have preferred to have a defined authority. One that had been ratified by the Sword.

 

For ages, the Thunderians had put a lot of faith in the Sword of Omens. They believed that their ancestors had forged it out of their very souls in order to protect their people from great evil. Thus, only the cat able to yield it was considered worthy of lead all the clans, because their ancestors had chosen him. It was believed that the Sword would not answer to someone unworthy, or evil. Should anyone without the right would attempt to yield it, the Eye of Thundera wouldn’t open, wouldn’t react at all, leaving the Sword powerless like any ordinary weapon. Its power would only answer to the true Lord of the Thundercats, and should be used to protect and lead the cats to victory over their enemies. That was what the legends said.

 

The jaguars had a slightly different version, but even them acknowledged that the Sword was a very powerful artefact. Their history annals had been better kept, and they said that the Eye of Thundera had once been called The War Stone. Their ancestors had actually stolen it, and used it to free their people. They had tempered the Stone’s power with the Sword so they could master it. The Shamans believed that the Sword would in fact answer to anyone who had the will to fight in order to protect. It was the Sword that would prevent the War Stone from obeying an evil master, if not for that, anyone with enough power could have used the Stone.

 

Of course no one mentioned that in the council. Baal hadn’t wanted to start a controversial discussion about myths and how worthy the previous Lords of the Thundercats had really been. He had refused to give the council what it wanted, which was a demonstration that he could in fact yield the power of the Sword.

 

The clans were nervous. Everyone assumed that the Sword would answer to Baal because the jaguar had defeated the Lion king in battle. Though Tygra had his doubts about said battle. No one had actually witness the two kings fighting. Everyone had been rather busy trying to keep themselves alive. But Baal had had the Sword at the end, so it stood to reason that he had conquered it in fair combat. Neither king had ever touched the theme, so the rest of the cats were free to speculate. Tygra rather believed that Baal had used a gun. He knew that the jaguar had very good aim; he could have just disarmed Claudus from a safe distance easily. Of course, Claudus would never admit such a defeat. Anyway, it was a mot point since the Sword now belonged to Baal, and it was practically a given that he could use its power if he wanted.

 

Nevertheless, the council would have liked to be _sure_. The heads of the clans were anxious because they weren’t absolutely sure that they still had their protection against evil forces. Tygra didn’t really know what exactly those evil forces were, but the nobles’ forte had never been logic. The majority of the Thunderians lived in fear that some unknown evil power would attack them the moment there was no one left who could yield the Sword of Omens. Thus the councillors’ need to know for certain that the jaguar king would have the power to protect them in case of an emergency, no matter that the jaguars had already demonstrated that they didn’t need the Sword’s power to be able to defend themselves.

 

They were also aghast that they apparently would have to wait until Lion-O tried the test to see if the title of Lord of the Thundercats would return to the lions. Tygra knew that the majority of the nobles didn’t consider Lion-O as a suitable Lord. They thought that his brother would fail the test and leave the kingdom exposed. Since Tygra had ceased to be an option the moment that the alliance with the jaguars had forged, they were already looking his cubs’ way. The tiger had been very uncomfortable with the nobles’ blatant scrutiny. He guessed that they had been measuring his sons up, wondering if any of them could be moulded into the Lord they wanted. It had been worse than enduring the jaguar elders’ excitement. Tygra was happy that his cubs were going to grow up in Ix-Maal, away from such outrageous expectations. He was even more decided to deny any request for his cubs to spend time in Thundera. He was not going to allow his sons to be made into competition for their uncle’s birthright. Because he knew that the nobles would very much like to substitute Lion-O as heir to Thundera’s throne. Even when they knew that it was impossible by their own laws, and were not going to actually do it. Not unless Lion-O died.

 

The feast and celebration had been also tiring. Ixchel had cried for most of it, and Akbal and Itzamma hadn’t been able to sleep. Jareid had not left their side, and that at least had discouraged the Thunderians from pestering them. Tygra had excused himself from the party as soon as diplomacy and protocol had allowed him to, which had been really late. Jareid had had to remain with the kings for a bit more. Baal had wanted his son to understand clearly the political terms both kingdoms were parting in, and to have any additional “talk” that Claudus would want to have with the younger jaguar done with. It was important that the conflict was deemed finished and resentments set to rest in order for both kingdoms to advance, and hopefully work together. Tygra was sure that Baal was only doing it because he and his queen had grown fond of the young lion. Otherwise, the jaguar king wouldn’t have cared less if they broke contact with Thundera entirely.

 

Between the three cats, they soon had all three cubs changed, fed, and tucked in blankets. It had taken a while to make Ixchel stop crying, but the little girl had finally exhausted herself. Tygra was only grateful that she had accepted a bottle of milk before she had fallen asleep.

 

Once the cubs were arranged in the carrycot and sleeping soundly, Ben and Saixa excused themselves for a moment. They were going to inspect Saixa’s assigned bedroom, which had been Lion-O’s and was right next to his. Tygra looked longingly towards his bed and sighed. It wasn’t as big as the one in Ix-Maal, but it’d be enough for both him and his mate for the night. Then he scowled at the additional bed close to the door. Ben had been supposed to sleep with the High Shaman, but Jareid had not felt comfortable with the idea. Even with their guards at the door, the jaguar preferred Ben close by, so the white tiger was going to bunk in with them. Tygra shook his head in exasperation. Jareid could be very paranoid sometimes.

 

He checked on his cubs again while considering if he should wait for Jareid or go to bed already. There was no telling how much longer the kings were going to keep talking. Tygra grunted and focused on his cubs. They looked as comfortable as ever, even when he could hardly see their little faces, covered as they were by every blanket he could find. The night was terribly cold, and he didn’t want any of his cubs getting sick. He smiled and caressed the little heads lovingly. Akbal had a new hat on. The first one had been lost somewhere in the palace. This new one had holes for the cub’s ears to poke through, so it was more difficult for him to take it off. Ixchel was curled against the black kitten and was gently sucking his brother’s knuckles. Itzamma was at Akbal’s back, one tiny hand grasping his twin’s ear, and the other inside his own mouth as always. Tygra rearranged the blankets around his three cubs to make sure that while they would not get cold, they were not going to wriggle under the covers either. He didn’t want any accidents.

 

He was thinking about the convenience of putting scratch mittens on his kittens’ tiny hands when a voice intruded in his world.

 

“I’m glad you’re alone. I was hoping that we could have the chance to talk in private.”

 

Tygra turned around and immediately put himself between the stranger and the carrycot. His right hand went to his waist to grab his weapon. He didn’t have a gun, but both his whip and a hunter’s knife were fastened to his belt. He grabbed the whip and put himself on guard. The intruder stood a few steps from the door, and didn’t seem alarmed by his reaction. Tygra growled. He hadn’t even heard the door opening. He had been overconfident that no one was going to intrude in his bedroom, other than Jareid and Ben, and had allowed himself to be distracted. This was shameful. He shouldn’t allow any distractions anywhere! What would his trainer think?

 

The cat lifted his hands in a placating gesture, and Tygra identified the uniform of a servant. He gritted his teeth. The guards at the entrance hall to the bedrooms had been told that he didn’t want to be disturbed, but he had forgotten the hidden stairs that the servants used to get faster from the kitchen to the top floors. The entrance to that passage was not guarded, as only the palace’s servants used it, and they were very loyal. At least Tygra had always assumed they were. He lowered his whip, but didn’t abandon his guarded stance. He didn’t know what this cat wanted, and though he looked familiar Tygra couldn’t remember his name.

 

“We don’t need anything. You don’t have any reason to be here.”

 

“I only wish to talk to you, my prince. No one has to know.”

 

Tygra narrowed his eyes. It was odd. He didn’t remember any lion being a servant.

 

As soon as that thought entered his mind he knew who the cat was, and he snarled in disgust.

 

“Lord Leonides.”

 

The lion sighed and made a tired gesture.

 

“Unfortunately without the Lord for now. But I expect that to be corrected eventually.”

 

“You don’t have anything to do here. Go away!”

 

“Relax my prince. Aren’t you interested in what I have to tell you?”

 

“I have no wish to listen to traitors!”

 

The cat’s face darkened and he hissed with offended dignity.

 

“We never betrayed Thundera. We wanted it to return to its former glory. We wanted a king capable of crushing our enemies without remorse. Your father is already too bland to be the king the cats deserve, and your brother is nothing but a shame to the entire clan. He was going to be a failure and you know it.”

 

“Don’t talk about my brother. You have no idea what he could have become.” Tygra said through gritted teeth. He didn’t want to use the whip with his cubs in the room, but if the cat got any closer he would. Said cat scoffed in derision.

 

“You know as well as I that he could never have ruled. Not without help. And we don’t need a weak king that tolerates other animals trampling in our lands. If only the jaguars had done what they were supposed to…”

 

“Go away!” Tygra growled in warning. He was ready to force the unwanted visitor out, but a noise from the carrycot made him stop. The lion’s eyes moved to fix the cot with a nasty stare.

 

“I accept our failure. It’s humiliating that we have to bear with this disgraceful consequence, and I understand your anger my prince. But we think that we still can salvage the situation.”

 

Tygra released his whip and took an offending stance, but then froze. He frowned at the too calm lion in front of him.

 

“We? Who’s we?”

 

The ex-Lord smirked, thinking that he had gotten the tiger’s interest.

 

“Every cat that is tired of the complacent state that our kingdom has fallen into. Tired of having our glorious army resting at home, or guarding the limits instead of crushing the despicable lizards once and for all. Tired of having a less than useless heir. Believe me my prince, there are plenty of us. You won’t lack support.”

 

Tygra felt disgusted. The snarl came back as he hissed.

 

“I don’t want any of your support!”

 

“We know that you’re very capable of handling things on your own despite your youth, my prince. But believe me, you’d need us. If only because there are still some pussy Lords that survived the battle two years ago, and that are too disgustingly happy with the complacency your father suffers from.”

 

Tygra found himself baffled. He wanted to lash out and strangle the cat with his whip, but he had to know who else was in conspiracy with him. He could not allow this to go on. He had to warn his father.

 

“My father has always been considered a good king. I never noticed any discontent on the Lords’ part.”

 

“Believe me, it is there. It has been there for many years now. You were too young to understand the concerns of some of our members, but you were well aware of the general dissatisfaction with your brother’s inadequacy. The court wants a decent heir. Some of us took the risk. It didn’t turn out how we wanted, but as I already told you, we can still fix it.”

 

“There’s nothing that needs fixing. Not anymore.”

 

“As long as your brother remains the heir, there’s something to fix. We need a real king!”

 

“What would you do? I’m not taking my brother’s place. Not ever.”

 

“You still can, my prince. We have already planned for what to do. The only obstacle is the crown prince.”

 

“You can’t touch him. He is away, and safe.”

 

“Oh, but my prince, don’t you see?” He sent a significant look towards the carrycot. Tygra growled again and blocked the lion’s view. Leonides smirked, mistaking Tygra’s warning. “Now you’re home, and this is our chance. I bet that it’d only take a little ‘accident.’ Surely Baal would retaliate if something happened to the cubs. If they are hurt in anyway, the jaguars would finally do what they were meant to in the first place.”

 

Tygra saw red. He roared and his whip made a huge arc across the room, barely missing the surprised cat’s head. The traitor jumped back and frowned. He hasn’t been expecting such a reaction. He had assumed that Tygra would loathe the jaguar prince’s spawn.

 

“You are not going to put a finger on any of my cubs! No one is going to touch a hair on them!”

 

“But Tygra, don’t you see? This is our chance! Your chance! To finally become what you were meant to! To be king!”

 

Tygra’s whip lashed out again, but the lion was more alert this time and got out of the way. One of the cubs cried and Tygra instinctually stopped and glanced back. Leonides took the opportunity to charge forwards, aiming to crash against the carrycot. Tygra blocked the way in panic. In a flash he could see that it wouldn’t matter. He was close enough to the carrycot that he would disturb it if the lion pushed him with enough force. No time for the whip. He took out the knife and tensed, ready to meet the lion and resist the impact, hopefully unmoving. Only it never happened. Quite suddenly there was a loud noise and someone grabbed the lion from behind and pulled. Tygra’s eyes widened in surprise as the cat was thrown to the floor. The next instant, Ben’s cloaked figure was standing between him and the traitor. Saixa appeared at Tygra’s side, out of breath and very concerned.

 

“Tygra, are you ok? The cubs?”

 

The tiger forgot about the lion, confident that Bengali would handle the intruder, and turned around to see his cubs. All three were awake again, but only Ixchel and Akbal were crying. Itzamma looked very disgruntled and was glaring at his siblings, not happy to have been woken up.

 

Saixa took Ixchel. Tygra held Akbal and stayed close to the carrycot. He heard the lion snarling some insults at Ben. The shaman didn’t even bother answering. There was a flash of light and a loud noise as the intruder got blasted out of the room.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid was a step from punching someone’s face. Really! How much diplomacy was needed for just going to sleep? He had barely paid attention to everything that had been said! He had only made sure to emphasize the fact that he was not leaving any of his cubs in Thundera. Not for any amount of time. Visits were fine only if both he and his mate were also visiting, and he won’t allow a stay lasting more than two days. The lion king didn’t like his lack of flexibility but he couldn’t have cared less. His family, his rules, and if the lion didn’t like it, he could start forgetting about them. He hadn’t liked the way the entire court had been looking at his cubs and mate. He couldn’t describe it other than it had been disturbing. Maybe it was his own paranoia, but he could have sworn that he had seen a cat or two trying to pull Saixa away from them.

 

Anyway, the meeting was growing tiring and pointless. They had already exhausted every possible question a reasonable father could have. They had even yelled at each other at some point. Only the reminder of what Tygra had been trough to secure peace had stopped the lion king from starting a full-fledged fight. There was nothing more Jareid could say to assure the lion that his tiger was safe and was being perfectly well-treated. Of course he wasn’t going to detail how they carried on with their personal relationship. That was no one’s business.

 

Jareid thanked the gods when they finally decided to retire, not completely satisfied, but at least grudgingly accepting the reality of each other’s places in Tygra’s life now. Thankfully it was not excessively long after Tygra had escaped with their cubs, but he was already starting to have a nervous breakdown. It was worse because Baal had confiscated his com. He had said that no one needed Jareid going ballistic in the middle of a delicate talk because one of the cubs couldn’t sleep, or some other thing equally inane. Tygra would manage perfectly well with both Saixa and Ben to help him. He didn’t need his obsessive mate following every step he took. So, Jareid had been forced to pay attention to endless minutes of father's complaints and try to placate the worried lion. Then the very slow walk towards the Royal Hall and their nightly accommodations. He would have taken off running if he knew where to run.

 

By the time they greeted the guard’s at the Hall’s entrance he was grumbling under his breath about stupid diplomacy. His mood didn’t improve when Claudus insisted in accompanying them to Tygra’s old room to check on his son a last time. Therefore he practically jumped in surprise when they turned a corner and someone was thrown out from one of the rooms ahead of them, colliding into the corridor’s wall with a spectacular crashing noise.

 

Everyone stood in various states of shock for a second. Then Bengali went out of the now broken door, right hand still bright with the remnants of magic and gun loaded on his left, ready to finish what he evidently had started.

 

Baal automatically extended his arms and barely caught a roaring Jareid before he could barrel forwards in murdering mode. Bengali heard the roar and turned towards them, thus allowing the fallen lion to try a kick to his knees while screaming for help. Ben avoided the kick easily, and didn’t have to retaliate, because the jaguar guards had recovered faster than any other and were already over the lion, restraining him despite his protests of being the victim.

 

Bengali approached his king and tried to help calm Jareid down. A task that was made very difficult when the guards presented the offending cat to the kings and Baal recognized the traitor.

 

“What’s the meaning of this Claudus?”

 

“I want to find out myself! What were you doing Leonides?!”

 

“My king, I was only attending to prince Tygra. The shaman attacked me without provocation!”

 

“I find that highly unlikable.” Xiar interceded at the same time that he put himself between his volatile prince and the servant. “Bengali doesn’t use violence lightly. He only attacks when there is a clear threat.”

 

“I’ll never cause my prince any harm!”

 

“What were you doing in this wing Leonides? I ordered you to stay away from our visitors!”

 

“Prince Tygra is hardly a visitor! I only wished to offer my services. I was merely inquiring if I could be of use.”

 

Bengali wanted to turn around and snarl to the lying piece of shit, but restraining Jareid required his entire focus at the moment. Claudus was about to demand an answer from the shaman angrily, when Tygra’s voice interrupted them.

 

“How dare you! You lying, treacherous, despicable, traitor!”

 

The tiger advanced decidedly towards the bewildered group, stopping only to shove a still crying Akbal into Jareid’s arms, ignoring the sharp gasps that particular action caused. Then he stomped, growling at the servant with fury, but directing his words to Claudus.

 

“How could you have this traitor in the palace?! He tried to get you and Lion-O killed!”

 

“Tygra, there was a trial. He explained…”

 

“I don’t care what he explained! He’s a bloody liar! And he’s still conspiring against Lion-O! He can’t be allowed to roam free!”

 

“I think the prince may have misunderstood my intentions…”

 

Tygra roared to the lion to shut him up. The jaguar guards tightened their hold and the point of one spear got threateningly close to the lion’s face.

 

“It’s hard to misunderstand someone’s intentions when said someone purposefully attacks you!”

 

The guards looked nervously towards Jareid, but the jaguar prince was still gaping in shock at the little cub that had been dropped on him. He couldn’t react properly at the moment. He was too worried trying to figure out what to do with his son.

 

Claudus ordered his own guards to take the servant to the holding cells. They were going to handle the situation their way. The jaguars looked at their king. Baal signalled that they could let it go, he was more fascinated at the way that Tygra had practically forced Jareid to calm down. He took note for future reference.

 

The jaguars surrendered the prisoner to the Thunderians who took him away. Tygra explained to his father everything that had happened and insisted again on doing something about the treacherous cat. He could not be kept as a servant. Claudus gritted his teeth and looked sideways towards his counterpart. Baal however seemed more interested in making sure that the cubs were fine and that Ben had done a good job protecting them.

 

“We’d deal with him in our way Tygra. I’m not about to stand by and let my sons’ safety to be compromised.”

 

“Please do.” Said Tygra, nodding in acceptance. “I know that you don’t like executions, but if there are more cats like him, they need to be stopped somehow.”

 

“And they’d be. Let us work on this, Tygra. Remember that it is not wise to let your anger guide your decisions.”

 

Tygra pressed his lips together and nodded sharply. He knew that if the kings would have arrived a little later Ben most likely would have killed the traitor, and he wouldn’t have minded. It was kind of disturbing, but the cat had threatened his cubs! Tygra would have killed him himself if no one had intervened. But it would have been self-defence. Claudus was talking about something else, something that Tygra knew himself incapable of, but Jareid…

 

He looked at his mate, who was cuddling little Akbal against his chest, a bit awkwardly, but entirely focused on his cub’s needs, like any good parent. Tygra walked towards him, intending to retrieve his cub, but Baal stopped him.

 

“Let Jareid take care of Akbal. I don’t want him invading the holding cells. Much less destroying the entire palace looking for them.” Said the king in a low voice at Tygra’s ear.

 

The tiger blinked in surprise once, and then flushed in embarrassment that almost immediately turned into horror. For the great Thunder. He had given Akbal to a furious Jareid without even thinking! What would he have done if Jareid had…? He could have hurt his son!

 

He turned to Jareid again, now in frantic worry, but the jaguar prince didn’t look murderous. Tygra looked at Baal in confusion. The jaguar king just smirked.

 

“He was ready to cause all kinds of hell until you filled his arms with cub. I think you pushed some previously unknown restart button.”

 

Tygra looked at Jareid again in fascination. He shook his head at the confusing mixture that was his mate and went to his side. Jareid glared at him, and almost spluttered with indignation at being loaded with his tiny cub at such an inconvenient moment. Tygra smiled at him and hung on his arm.

 

Crisis adverted, everyone just wanted to sleep. Claudus had Tygra’s family moved to Lion-O’s room because the door had been ruined. Bengali had broken the lock and singed it to its hinges when he had forced it to get inside. The king offered to move Saixa to another bedroom, but Jareid had recovered enough of his wits to protest. He wanted everyone on sight, as it was clear now to him that there _had been_ cats that had been trying to get Saixa’s attention at the feast. It was possible that it had been an attempt to get closer to one of the cubs.

 

Saixa didn’t mind to sleep in the same room as all of them, so the family, plus Ben and Saixa, spent the night in Lion-O’s old bedroom.

 

Tygra lied down Ixchel next to Itzamma, the two of them asleep again, and turned to look for his last cub. The room felt a little crowded with three beds in it, but it’d be only one night. Jareid had not let go of Akbal yet. It was like their tiny cub was some sort of lifesaver. Everyone had seemed to think that Jareid would lose it the moment he didn’t have his son in his arms. The little kitten had been sobbing for a long time, unable to sleep though he had been very tired. He was now cuddled in the crook of his father’s left arm, finally sleeping. His mouth was slightly open and you could see a tiny, tiny tip of rosy tongue poking out. Tygra scowled when he noticed that the little hat was not on his cub’s head. Again.

 

“Jareid, where’s his hat?”

 

“I put it in their bag. He hates it, and it’s not so cold anyway.”

 

Tygra groaned and took his cub from his mate’s arms. Akbal yawned and continued sleeping.

 

“He’s not used to low temperatures. What if he gets sick?”

 

“He’s gonna be fine. Tomorrow we’re heading back home, he won’t notice the change. Besides, you covered them in enough blankets to keep an oven hot!”

 

Tygra grumped and kissed his cub’s head before putting him down with his siblings. Jareid embraced his mate from behind and bit his ear playfully.

 

“They are strong little cubs. No one is getting sick. Now come to bed. We’re leaving early tomorrow.”

 

“Hey you both, any chance that I could snuggle in your bed between you? Maybe get some action?”

 

Saixa called from her bed, where she was leaning over the pillows. She was wearing an extremely short and translucent sleeping robe, and nothing else. Tygra blushed bright red and averted his eyes while Jareid growled.

 

“I told you no Saixa! Drop it!”

 

“Oh, come on Jareid! I have needs too!” She whined, trying to look enticing. Tygra groaned in embarrassment and went to bury his face in the pillows. Jareid turned to the shaman.

 

“Ben, can you do something about her?”

 

“Hey! Don’t try to get me mixed in this! You were the one who insisted in all of us sharing the same room!”

 

“And I’m solely regretting it.” He grumbled. Saixa suddenly changed targets and walked sensually the few steps that separated her bed from Ben’s.

 

“Well, I suppose I could find myself my own tiger. What do you say handsome? I believe that I haven’t messed up with any of the shamans yet. I’m certainly willing to give it a try.”

 

She leaned over Ben, who had been sitting relaxedly on his own bed, back against the headboard. Saixa practically shoved her breasts on his face. Bengali went as red as a tomato, and gaped in disbelief at her boldness. Jareid smirked at the display.

 

“Now, that’s an idea. You can have a good time with Ben, and get off my back.”

 

Bengali spluttered indignantly at the prince, while Saixa chuckled and sat on his lap.

 

“I say that counts as the prince’s blessing, don’t you?”

 

She tried to put her arms around Ben’s neck, but the shaman grabbed her shoulders and kept her at arms’ length.

 

“I don’t think so milady. I hardly think this is appropriate.”

 

“Come on Ben. You have needs too. You can allow yourself a bit of release once in a while… Ow!”

 

Saixa looked murderously at the pillow that had collided with her head. Then looked affronted behind her, expecting to see Jareid, but it was a flustered and still blushing Tygra the one glaring at her from his side of the bedroom. The orange tiger hissed lowly at her.

 

“Not while my cubs are in the same room. Now cut it off and go to sleep!”

 

Saixa pouted, but she got off Ben and returned to her own bed. Jareid was chuckling until a fist connected with his arm.

 

“Ow! What was that for?”

 

“You were encouraging her! Go to sleep or I’ll hurt you!”

 

A muffled chuckle and Jareid hugged his tiger tightly, forgetting the problems for a while.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

They boarded the ship after breakfast. Tygra gave a last farewell hug to his father, and let him held Akbal for some moments. The little black cub was more social than his siblings, and more curious about strangers. He was immediately attracted by the lion’s abundant mane, and tried to get a hold of it. Claudus looked at his son sadly.

 

“I’m still upset with this outcome.”

 

Tygra sighed and looked towards the ship, where Jareid was waiting for him with Itzamma in his arms. The blond cub was glaring Jaga’s way. The cleric was some steps apart, giving Cheetara last minute instructions. The tiger shook his head.

 

“I know, but there’s nothing to do about it. And I’m actually fine. Lion-O and I are learning new things. We have a real opportunity to change our world.”

 

Claudus grumped unhappily.

 

“Some would say that the world wasn’t in any need of changing.”

 

Tygra looked at him tiredly.

 

“Now, that’s just preposterous. The world changes whether you like it or not. We have to go with it. Wasn’t that why you sent Grune and Panthro on a quest? To find some ancient artefact that supposedly combines technology with magic, and would help the cats to defend themselves against an unknown danger? Well, we have access to tech now. We can be prepared for any danger.”

 

“The Book of Omens is special.”

 

“But it’s not here father. This is.” He signalled the big ship and returned to look pleadingly at his father. “I know you’re sore because we lost a stupid war, but we can’t change the past. We can learn from it and move on.”

 

Claudus’ frown grew fierce.

 

“I hate to think that your brother is learning things that we should not tamper with. What they made you do is against nature, and it should not be done!”

 

Tygra bit his lips. It was pointless to discuss about that.

 

“Some things are unconventional. But Lion-O is not going to lose his morals father. He is a good kit. He’d be a good king. Just give him a chance.”

 

“I’d be more inclined to trust his wandering mind, if he had ever given any sign that he’s interested in learning how to lead this city.”

 

“He’d do well father. Though I must say that he’d do better if he won’t have to keep watching his back for traitorous councillors.”

 

“We’d take care of that. I’d feel more reassured if I didn’t think that you’re starting to show a preference for their methods.”

 

“What methods?”

 

“The shaman was ready to kill an unarmed cat, Tygra. Without giving him any chance to defend himself. That’s not how we do things.”

 

Tygra huffed and averted his eyes. He looked towards Jareid again and couldn’t help but thinking of what would have happened if his mate hadn’t had Akbal on his arms to calm him down. One thing was certain; the corridor would have been un-cleanable. He shuddered. Perhaps he had been exposed to violence for too long.

 

“Ben was only protecting us. It’s not the usual way he deals with danger. Things in Ix-Maal are not too different from here.”

 

He tried very hard not to think about Jareid covered in blood just after he had been almost killed in the river. The jaguar prince was the only one with serious anger-management problems, but that idea was not going to help to ease Claudus one bit. The king grumbled.

 

“Be as it may.” He put a hand on Tygra’s shoulder reassuringly. “This would always be your home Tygra. You’d always be my son. You know you can count on us.”

 

“I know father. I love you too, you know.”

 

Claudus grunted in resignation, and then felt a strong pull on his mane.

 

“Ow, ow. Easy little guy, easy.”

 

Akbal giggled happily, delighted to have reached the lion’s exuberant mane. Tygra chuckled and helped his father to untangle the tiny hands before he lost a handful of fur.

 

“Come here love. You shouldn’t pull off your grandfather’s mane. He’s rather attached to it.”

 

Claudus smiled at the little cub once he was in his dad’s arms, and caressed the soft cheeks with a finger. Akbal grabbed it and promptly tried to bite it. Claudus chuckled.

 

“He looks just like you. He and your daughter. Your eldest is a jaguar through and through.”

 

“Itzamma also has stripes, but he’s taking more after Jareid’s looks.”

 

Someone called that everything was ready and Jareid made an impatient noise. Tygra sighed and gave a last hug to his father. Then he walked to his mate who grabbed him by the waist and hurried him into the ship. Claudus growled under his breath and huffed at the display. Baal stood beside him for a moment before boarding the ship himself.

 

“I’ve learned to not dwell too much on things that I have no control over.”

 

“Easy for you to say.” Growled the king. Baal smirked.

 

“Of course, I procure to always have control.”

 

He gave a step towards his transport, but stopped and glanced back seriously.

 

“A word of advice though. Mercy does have its limits. Sometimes death is necessary.”

 

“It’s not our way.”

 

Baal shrugged.

 

“Suit yourself.”

 

He boarded the ship and the door slid closed behind his guards. Claudus looked as the big thing ascended to the skies, technically noiselessly for its size. Jaga was beside him, contemplating the ship’s movements.

 

“We may have to overcome many fears if we wish to stand as equals someday.”

 

“If only you had found something amiss with the cubs.”

 

“Actually…” Jaga sighed and Claudus turned to look at him sharply.

 

“What?”

 

“Well, it was odd really. I don’t know what they pulled off, or how they managed, but the spirits’ magic says that the girl is not really Tygra’s. Not… directly.”

 

Claudus’ eyes widened fractionally.

 

“What exactly do you mean?”

 

“He is not her father, however they are closely related. That’s the best explanation anyway. The magic seemed to think that Tygra is and isn’t her parent at the same time.”

 

Claudus frowned in mild confusion and then growled.

 

“And you didn’t tell me before? Jaga, we could have used this! Why didn’t you say something?!”

 

“It would have served no purpose. The girl’s parentage doesn’t interfere with the bond, and it changes nothing. Whatever her lineage is, it doesn’t affect the treaty.”

 

“But Tygra could have realized how far the jaguars are willing to go to manipulate him!”

 

“Chances are he already knows, Claudus.”

 

The lion roared lowly, deeply frustrated. Jaga sighed. “There’s nothing to do but adapt. Tygra is right. We need to learn more. Lion-O has a good chance to recover the Sword of Omens. He probably would attempt to reconcile the clans. You know that his dream has always been to bring all the species together, surely he would start with his own.”

 

Claudus turned towards the palace, remembering that they had someone to deal with.

 

“My son is very idealistic indeed. Let’s hope that he knows how to handle the nobles. And in lieu of that, there’s a certain lion that has reached the end of my patience.”

 

“Regrettably so.”

 

Both cats entered the palace, prepared to deal with the traitor again.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra looked out the window as Thundera got smaller and smaller, until the clouds covered it. He sighed and reclined back on the seat. He was feeling the unwelcome sensation of abandonment again. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. He was the one that hadn’t wanted to go to Thundera. He was the one that had decided not to stay. But the depressing feeling still remained.

 

He turned his head to the side. This time it was Akbal the one awake, and he was being far more boisterous about it than Itzamma. The blond cub had closed his eyes as soon as they had entered the ship, and was now in the carrycot with his sister. Akbal was babbling and wriggling, trying to send the blankets wrapping him away. Saixa was looking for a clean shirt and nappies for him, while Ben tried to save the blankets from being shredded apart. Akbal was growing frustrated because it looked like he was tangling himself more.

 

Tygra sighed, ready to stand up and go sort out his cub, but Jareid pulled him by the waist and trapped him at his side. Tygra growled half-heartily.

 

“Jareid, I should retrieve Akbal. He’s my cub.”

 

“Saixa and Ben can take perfect care of him. Come here and relax with me.”

 

Tygra huffed, but leaned against Jareid’s side. The jaguar had removed the armrest between their seats, and there was nothing now preventing him from hugging his tiger tightly. He kissed Tygra on the lips and got a hand under the younger cat’s shirt. Tygra moaned, feeling his mate’s happiness radiating from every pore. Jareid was relaxing now that the perceived danger had passed. The jaguar started to caress his mate’s neck, brushing over the mating mark lovingly.

 

“My beautiful tiger. No one can take you away now.” He kissed Tygra again, and started to purr.

 

Tygra wriggled a bit to get into a more comfortable position, and ended up with one leg over Jareid’s. He nuzzled the jaguar’s neck, licking his mark tentatively and sighed. He hated the way he was feeling. Like something was missing, but he couldn’t say precisely what. Jareid bit and pulled his ear with soft lips, then a hand lifted his chin minutely.

 

“Are you ok my tiger? Are you happy?”

 

Tygra brushed his lips against Jareid’s and reclined his head on the older cat’s neck. He was unsure about what he wanted to feel. In the background he listened to his cub’s happy giggles as Ben finally freed him from the blankets.

 

“I think my mind is a mess right now. I have missed home so much, and now it doesn’t feel like home anymore.”

 

He looked up directly into the clear blue eyes of his possessive mate.

 

“Maybe home is with you. I only have to get used to the idea.”

 

Jareid lifted an eyebrow. “You haven’t already?”

 

Tygra sighed and tucked his head under the jaguar’s chin again. “I thought I had. But I’m still feeling… I don’t know. Maybe it’s just because I saw how much father is still in denial.”

 

Jareid grumbled. Stupid Thunderians. He raked his fingers through his tiger’s mane and kissed the striped head tenderly. Tygra sighed again and moaned with longing.

 

“Jareid… do you remember that little lie? The one I once asked you to tell me?”

 

The prince grunted and nodded, hiding a smirk. He knew now what his tiger was missing. Tygra gulped.

 

“Do you mind… telling me again?”

 

Jareid reclined their seats a bit more, so he could easily roll over his tiger. Tygra yelped and his eyes turned around looking for the rather big audience that they had in the ship’s cabin. Surprisingly, no one seemed to be paying attention to them. Everyone was in his or her own seats, with Saixa and Ben having disappeared somewhere, but that didn’t mean that no one was listening. He suddenly regretted having asked. He should have waited for them to be back in their rooms. Jareid grabbed him by the jaw and forced his attention back to intense clear blue eyes.

 

“Why would you want a lie, when I can tell you the truth?”

 

Tygra narrowed his eyes, not sure of what to expect. “And what would this truth be?”

 

Jareid started to kiss his tiger’s face lightly as he talked softly.

 

“That I need you, Tygra. That you are the best thing that has happened in my life. That you make me a better cat, and we have three wonderful cubs that we’re raising together.”

 

He kissed the parted lips of his mate passionately, until Tygra moaned and returned the kiss. Then he whispered to his still out of breath mate.

 

“That I very well could already be loving you. My tiger.”

 

He bit the mating mark lustfully, making Tygra gasp and grab him by the arm and neck with desperation. The tiger moaned and then took his chance to bite his jaguar too. He would have let Jareid take him there and then, if he hadn’t been too self-conscious and overly aware that they were not alone at all. They had to content themselves with cuddling together, side by side, in shared relief. Tygra nudged Jareid to hug him, and breathed his mate’s unique aroma deeply. He felt better. Safer. Like he was assured that his little lie was not entirely a lie anymore.

 

 

 


	25. The Shadows of Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: 
> 
> Violence in this chapter, triggers for kidnaping.
> 
>  
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.

 

The calm of the jungle was disturbed by a chilling scream. Birds flew everywhere, escaping the noise and the sudden feel of danger that accompanied it. A predator sniffed the air, curious at the smell of fresh blood. It followed the sweet odour to find out the source until it came to a cave, the entrance obscured by the shadows of trees and bushes. It stopped however, unwilling to get closer. Its fur stood on end and it growled threateningly before turning tail and run away.

 

The shadows around the cave seemed to move. They flown towards the opening and were sucked inside. In the depths of the cave, the flow of shadows seemed to expand and fill the shallow space entirely. There was only one lithe silhouette discernible amongst the darkness. A female jaguar was kneeling in front of a fire pit, holding something meaty and bloody on her hands. The fire was now dead and amongst the ashes laid the charred remains of things that had been burned past recognition. The smell permeating the cave was of blood and rancid meat. The female put a bloodied knife on the ground beside her and took a bite of the thing in her hands before throwing it towards the extinguished fire. She couldn’t help but gasp in surprise when flames suddenly came to life to consume the final offering she had thrown. Purple flames that gave no light at all. The signal that her ritual had worked. She looked beyond the flames to the barely distinguishable figure of a big bundle, the size of a grown cat. It disappeared in front of her eyes, consumed by the shadows invading the place. She could feel the energy behind her. The shadows were gathering, solidifying in three bodies. Still, she didn’t stand up until a deep voice was heard.

 

_‘You paid the price to summon us. You have offered the lives of your own blood. What do you want in return?’_

 

The female turned and looked at the three figures in elation. She had done it! Now she could have back what was rightfully hers!

 

“My cub. Bring me my, and Jareid’s cub! Jareid’s offspring belongs to me!”

 

The shadows disappeared, leaving Mai in darkness. Her eyes focused on the light that was entering through the cave’s opening again, and she laughed. It had worked! She knew that you didn’t need to be a shaman for the rites to work for you! Who would have thought that the load of old transcripts that her uncle had inherited her family would be of use? She had been lucky to grab the right one when she had been left to pack. Now she could have her life back. Now Jareid would finally come to her side. She would return to the city as its queen!

 

She walked out of the cave with barely a disgusted look behind. Her father had gotten what he deserved. How had he dared to deny her her rightful place at the court! She lamented that her mother had had to share the same fate, but Mai had had to be sure that the offering would be strong enough. Besides, her mother would probably be proud of her for not having given up. She had always told her that she deserved the best, and that she should be willing to do anything to achieve her goals. Yes, her mother would have been proud. After all, the poison that Mai had instructed her accomplice to use was quick and wouldn’t have caused her mother much pain. She sat on a rock outside the cave, waiting for the shadows to return with her cub. Her eyes were still bright with a glint of madness in them.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

Cheetara put Itzamma in the crib carefully. The boy was still awake, but he was very put out to be in her arms and wouldn’t stop wriggling and hissing. The cleric sighed in resignation and let the cub be. She was relatively sure that he wasn’t going to disturb his sister, who was sleeping in the same crib. She gave him one of the colourful teething rings that Tygra had insisted to keep always at hand. The twins were teething already and they both had taken a liking to gnaw at the bars of their crib. Itzamma looked at the toy intently for a moment before putting it in his mouth. He glared at the cheetah for good measure before turning his entire focus on the plastic ring.

 

Cheetara chuckled and shook her head. Then she left the crib’s side and went to retrieve Akbal. The little cub was rolling around on the mat, trying to catch Snarf. Cheetara watched amusedly as the pet jumped from one side of the cub to the other. Just barely escaping from the grasp of the tiny hands. Akbal giggled and screeched happily. His little arms and legs moved vigorously to take impulse and roll from one side to another in pursue of the elusive tail of the pet. Cheetara sat at the cub’s side and offered him another teether. Akbal immediately grabbed the toy and started to gnaw at it almost desperately. Cheetara smiled and rubbed the cub’s tummy gently. Akbal continued babbling around the teether in his mouth and making happy noises. The cheetah talked to him, playfully asking about how yummy his toy looked and other nonsense. Akbal seemed to have the pent up energy of all three cubs, and soon was rolling again, looking for Snarf. He even tried to lift himself a few times without much success, but it was clear that any day now he would start running around in pursuit of the pet.

 

Cheetara sighed looking towards the crib. She could understand Tygra’s worry. The two twins seemed to be very far apart in development. They were almost four and a half months and Itzamma still preferred to lie in the crib than start exploring like his twin did. Even Ixchel stayed awake longer and was starting to try to sit up by herself. Cheetara of course knew the most likely explanation, as well as Jaga had known once he had had some private words with Bengali. She didn’t understand why they couldn’t just explain to Tygra what was happening. She had thought that her old mentor would want to inform Tygra, but instead Jaga had insisted for her to keep quiet. Bengali wasn’t saying anything either, but the cheetah knew that the shaman was monitoring the cub closely, making sure that nothing went wrong. She really wanted to ask the purpose of all the secrecy. It wasn’t as if Tygra wouldn’t understand.

 

She sighed again and returned to play with Akbal. It wasn’t a big deal really. They’d tell Tygra at the right time. Meanwhile they’d continue to observe the twins and care for them with as much love as the family could give. So far, the couple had managed pretty well. Saixa’s help had allowed Tygra to focus on his training and other obligations without fear for his cubs. The female had subtly started to become part of the family, and some of the nobles were convinced that she was technically a concubine. Many believed that Jareid was bedding her, or even sharing her with Tygra. Cheetara had had a good laugh when her tiger friend had listened to that piece of gossip. The baffled look on his face had been priceless. Of course, Saixa was doing nothing to stop the rumours and even encouraged them from time to time. Jareid didn’t like it, but allowed it to continue because it was diverting attention from Tygra. His ex-lovers were now more focused on targeting Saixa, who could defend herself quite well.

 

It was in part thanks to those rumours that Cheetara was now taking care of the cubs instead of the jaguaress. One of the ladies from a noble family had been found dead the previous day. She had gone to the pond to bathe, and her servants had located her body amongst some bushes when they had gone in search of her. She had used to go to the pond by herself frequently, so they had only discovered her when she had taken too long to return. The shamans had determined that a snake had bitten her. A Taranga, more precisely, which was the most poisonous snake one could find in the jungle. Her poison could kill a grown cat in seconds. It had been a horrible accident, and the body had been prepared quickly to give her the final rites. She had been part of a high-ranking family, and the royal family, including Lion-O, was expected to attend the ceremony of parting, along with the rest of the court.

 

Baal had heavily suggested for Saixa to accompany them, and for she to remain at Jareid’s side inside the temple. Jareid had been very upset. Not only because he hadn’t wanted to attend the deceased’s final rites in the first place, in addition he loathed the fact that he was being forced to fulfil the nobles’ expectations. Tygra had managed to calm him a little. He didn’t really mind if everyone wanted to believe that Saixa was Jareid’s concubine, as long as they stopped to pressure for the prince to choose a female. They seemed to think that the royal family was somehow incomplete. For all that they were grateful that Tygra had grounded their prince, they were still fearful that he wouldn’t be enough in the long run. They preferred to be sure that Jareid was truly satisfied and wouldn’t return to his previous obnoxious behaviour.

 

Cheetara had been convinced that Jareid was going to kill someone when he had realized that they had no one to leave the cubs with. No one he trusted that is, as Ben had to be present in the ceremony and neither parent wanted to take the cubs to such an affair. Jareid had even suggested leaving them with only Snarf, but Tygra had pointed out that even as intelligent as the pet was he could not feed them, or change the cubs’ nappies. The jaguar had threatened Cheetara with all kinds of painful death if something happened to his cubs. Tygra had apologized, but the cheetah had no doubt that Jareid had meant every single word. Then he had spent some time muttering and raging under his breath, occasionally cursing the nobles’ existence, and complaining that a certain family had already caused too much grief for him. She wondered what had happened to make him act in that way. Granted, it wasn’t very difficult to make the jaguar prince angry, but Saixa didn’t look so eager to attend the rites either. She would do it because it was an obligation, and a perfect opportunity to be seen with the royal family, but she hadn’t been in really good terms with the deceased. Tygra had also looked uncomfortable, and had promised Cheetara to be back as soon as possible. The behaviour of all three of them seemed suspicious for the cheetah. Anyway, she didn’t expect them back before noon.

 

She played with Akbal a bit more before the cub finally yawned and gave signals to want to sleep. She changed his nappy, taking advantage of his tiredness. Saixa entered the room when she was just finishing and peered into the crib to find both Itzamma and Ixchel fast asleep.

 

“Hi. Are they done already?”

 

“Not quite. Jareid is just being a bastard and insisted that I should come to check on you. He’s being outright impossible.”

 

Cheetara growled while she lifted Akbal on her arms.

 

“Does he really believe that I would hurt Tygra’s cubs? He’s the most unreasonable cat I have ever met!”

 

“Ha! Sweetie, you don’t know half of it.”

 

Saixa was about to say more, but she suddenly froze. Every hair on her back stood up and she looked around nervously. Cheetara shivered and held Akbal more tightly. The room suddenly felt oppressive, and it was getting dark.

 

Both females moved at the sides of the crib, looking for danger that they instinctively knew was there, but couldn’t see. In the crib, one of the cubs started crying, the other two closely followed.

 

“What’s happening?”

 

“I-I don’t know. Call the guards!”

 

Saixa took her communicator out. She only had time to press the panic button when the shadows around them suddenly turned alive and surged from the floor in front of them.

 

“For the great Thunder!”

 

Cheetara quickly put Akbal in the crib to be able to take out her staff. Snarf stood on the railing, all freaked out and hissing. Saixa tried to move the entire crib away but the shadows moved towards them incredibly fast. A dark tendril grabbed Saixa by the waist and threw her against the wall with force. Cheetara attacked, dodging the shadow tendrils and trying to hit the darkness with her staff. She put herself in front of the crib, but soon realized that she wasn’t a big obstacle. The darkness was everywhere and another tendril surged from the ceiling, directly above the crib.

 

“No!”

 

Cheetara jumped, intercepting the shadow, which grasped her and threw her to the side. She turned in midair and landed on her feet, ready to charge again. Faintly, he heard noise at the door, and she realized that the guards were there, but couldn’t enter. There would be no help. She attacked again as Snarf flew past her to collide hard into the door. She moved her staff expertly, trying to reach the crib. The darkness seemed to grow around her, and she felt herself being lifted and smashed against a hard surface. Pain exploded in her head and her side, and she couldn’t breath. There was something above her, all around her, that was blocking her mouth and nose and pinning her down. She tried to struggle to no avail. The lack of air and the pain soon became unbearable and darkness flooded her.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Mai stood up quickly and grinned in delight when the shadows around her moved and raised from nowhere. The sound of crying came abruptly into existence. She extended her arms, impatient to finally have her cub, but she looked shocked as she was offered three crying kittens.

 

“What? What is this? I told you to bring me...!”

 

_‘Jareid’s offspring belongs to me!’_ She heard her own voice coming from one of the shadows. ‘ _This is Jareid’s offspring._ ’ It finished.

 

The three shadows deposited the crying cubs on the ground and disappeared.

 

Mai was at a loss for a moment before realizing that she should have been more specific in her request. Well, it didn’t matter, she just had to look at them to know which one was hers. Only one would be a pure jaguar. She sneered at what was obviously a tiger cub and frowned dismissingly at the black one. Both of them were obviously the tiger’s spawn. What could you expect from an outsider? Mai was now sure that her cub would be the heir. No one would accept a black jaguar as king, and the tiger wouldn’t even be looked at. She lifted the jaguar cub from the ground and started to walk towards the camp that her father had set for them. She left the other two cubs where they were. They were not her problem.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was aghast. He paced from one side of the waiting room to the other like a caged animal, growling from time to time, and really wanting to get his claws and teeth into something. He should have gone with Jareid. The jaguar had taken two units of the hunters out and was searching the jungle. As futile as it was, given that no one knew what to look for besides the cubs, it was doing something. Tygra had been ordered to stay behind, so one of them would be there to receive information. The tiger however was getting more and more frenzied. He would rather go out and search for his cubs. He had already popped out his claws and was close to start punching the walls. He still couldn’t believe that someone had managed to get inside the palace undetected.

 

The ceremony at the temple had been about to finish when they had heard the alarm. He had quickly found his communicator, as all forces were linked when a panic button was pressed. He had nearly screamed when he had seen that the source of the alarm was the nursery. He and Jareid had run towards their rooms as fast as they could. They had arrived as the guards had managed to force the doors open and thus had gotten to see the destruction first hand. The nursery had been in pieces. The guard had barely avoided trampling over Snarf, who had been close to the door, not moving. They had found Cheetara amongst the broken furniture and shelves, bleeding profusely, and Saixa at the far wall under what remained of the rocking chair. Both had been unconscious. The crib had not been damaged, but it had been empty. No one had seen what had happened. No one had identified any intruders in the palace, and there was no evidence of a forced entrance or departure.

 

Tygra roared once more and started to bite his fist. The only ones who could tell him what had happened were Saixa and Cheetara, and none of them had recovered consciousness yet. Cheetara in fact was taken into surgery and they were fighting to save her life. Snarf was awake, and very depressed, but he couldn’t tell them anything.

 

A pair of thin arms surrounded his chest and he felt the slight weight of his brother from behind.

 

“They’d find them Tygra. They can’t have gone far. Jareid moved the forces immediately.”

 

Tygra sighed and embraced his little brother fiercely. It had been two hours already. Who could have possibly been agile enough to hide from the jaguars in such a short time? Xilara and Yeanna were also with him. Baal had gone to aid the search. Everyone was very worried and tense. It was another half hour before Bengali appeared in the waiting room. Xiar had gone to inform the chief commander and communicate with Baal. Tygra looked anxiously at his friend, but seeing the troubled face of the older tiger, he guessed that he had bad news. Xilara was the first to ask about the situation and Ben gulped nervously.

 

“Both Cheetara and Saixa are out of danger now. Cheetara is going to need sometime to recover completely, but she’d be fine. Lady Saixa is awake, but... well...”

 

“What did she say Ben? What happened to my cubs? Where are they?” Asked an anxious Tygra. Ben sighed and covered his face with his hands for a second before moving them to his head.

 

“I... I don’t know how to phrase it. Lady Saixa said... well, the shadows attacked them.”

 

Tygra was momentarily befuddled.

 

“The shadows of what?”

 

“Of nothing. There was nothing there, only the shadows. The darkness filled the room, and it became tangible, and attacked them. Lady Saixa says that they knocked her out as she was trying to move the crib out of the way.”

 

The cats were speechless for long moments before Xilara tried to understand better.

 

“But... how is that possible? It’s surely magic, but who can control magic like that? I’ve never heard about shadows attacking people.”

 

“It’s a forbidden art. That’s what the High Shaman said. He was really worried. He said that...” He paused and looked towards Tygra worriedly. The young cat was clenching fists and teeth tightly.

 

“What Ben? And where is Xiar?”

 

“He went to call the forces back. He said that if the shadows took the cubs they weren’t going to be able to find any trace.”

 

“No.” Tygra turned around and stormed out of the room, ignoring Ben’s calls to go back. He had to find Jareid. They had to find their cubs. They could still be close enough to them.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Evan, a brown hawk, was very bored. He had been charged with doing recognition of the west side of the Kaanuk jungle, but so far he hadn’t spotted anything interesting. Not that anyone really expected something to happen. It was the border of the jungle after all. The few tribes that made it their home were located far in its depths, and the hated cats’ city was days away. Not for nothing it was the biggest jungle in Third Earth. You could walk through it for days and days without encountering another sentient animal. Evan looked back the way he had come from. He could see where the jungle ended and rocky, dry landscape began. Avista’s towers were faint, but still distinguishable at the distance.

 

Evan narrowed his eyes and his beak made an annoyed sound. Avista had once been a glorious city. It had floated in the sky, keeping its citizens safe from the dangers and violence of the rest of the animals. But those times were over. The technology that had once sustained Avista had failed when the cats had stolen the Tech Stone. The city had fallen, and the Avians had been unable to get the anti-gravity generators working again. Without the Power Stone, Avista was just a big pile of rubble. Evan, as many others, couldn’t really imagine how the city had once been able to float in the sky. He only had the old stories that were told. No one had ever explained to him how the cats had managed to steal the Power Stone, but everyone was sure that they were the ones to blame for Avista’s fall. The Avians hated the cats for it, and thoughts of revenge had festered in some of them for generations. Now that Vultaire had taken the power as Prefect of the city, he was preparing their forces with what little tech they still had. The vulture was obsessed with recovering the Tech Stone, and was insistent on attacking the cats’ city. Most of the people supported him. They wanted the easy and rich life their ancestors had written about. They only had stories about the magnificence and opulence of the old city. All of it taken from them by a cursed cat.

 

They still had some machines and individual ships, but they were failing because no one knew anymore the correct way to give them maintenance, and they didn’t have the means to make more. They didn’t have the power or the knowledge. Those had been stolen with the Stone. There were only a handful of still working speeding bikes, and the scouts used them to patrol the jungle constantly. They already knew the general direction to the cats’ city, and were mapping the possible route for an army to take. Vultaire cursed each day their lack of machines. Without them they were at a huge disadvantage. Just crossing the jungle could take them months. They needed another strategy. It was clear that they wouldn’t be able to even get close to the cats’ city in the jungle without being spotted.

 

Evan sighed and continued his circuit above the trees. Personally, he thought that their obsession with recovering the Power Stone was futile, and it was restricting them greatly. They could have moved on, on their own, ages ago. He knew that there were other bird tribes that had flourished without any stone’s aid. But it was equally futile to argue with his compatriots, so he shrugged and turned his vehicle around. Just a few more minutes and he’d return to the base.

 

Suddenly, he saw something weird a few yards away to his right. He narrowed his eyes and focused on the point. It seemed like a defined area of the forest was suddenly dark. Too dark. He turned his speeder that way to investigate. The forest however returned to normal before he reached the dark area. He continued anyway. If he found evidence of some species’ activity so close to the border of the jungle he would have to report it. He flew above the identified area and spotted a cave. In front of it, in a small clearing, he could distinguish two tiny, wriggling figures. He frowned and hovered over the place. His hearing wasn’t so good, but his sight was, and he quickly identified two cat cubs. He flew around at a discreet distance, looking for an adult. The trees obstructed his view, but he was reticent to land and explore the area more thoroughly. This could be a trap.

 

He waited for some minutes. One of the cubs started to wander away slowly. Evan assumed that both were still too young to walk. They were obviously crying and distressed. He convinced himself that there was no adult to care for them around, and landed close by. He grabbed his crossbow and had it ready as he approached the crying cubs. No one attacked him, and he inspected the two tiny kittens. One was black, and the other orange with stripes. The black one had stopped crying and was currently gnawing at a rock he had found. The other was no longer crying but screaming its lungs out. Evan looked around one more time and finally spotted the signs of someone else having been there. He hunched and looked at the footprints that were around. They belonged to a cat certainly, and apparently came from the cave and continued to the jungle. He looked at the cubs again and considered what to do. The black one had noticed him and was trying to crawl towards him, crying again.

 

He could leave them there. He remembered the unnatural darkness that had covered the entire area. If the cubs were tainted with dark magic, he was certainly not taking them to Avista. Two cats less that wouldn’t be a bother in the future. He clicked his beak, and was about to get on the speeder when another voice came from above.

 

“Hey Evan! What did you find?”

 

Evan looked up and saw as another speeder came down and landed. A tawny falcon called Thier approached him and inspected the cubs with a grimace.

 

“Cats?”

 

“They seem to have been abandoned.”

 

“They’re too far away from home.”

 

He picked the orange cub up and looked closely at the tunic it was wearing. He hissed when he found the symbol embroidered in the fabric.

 

“This is the royal emblem.”

 

“How do you know? I thought it was a black cat on a red background.”

 

“That’s the symbol of the other city you fool. The cats that live in the jungle are by far more devious and dangerous. This cub could have something to do with the royal family.”

 

“Why are they here then? Maybe the cats just want to get rid of them.”

 

“Maybe not. Maybe someone is causing troubles. Surely they fight amongst themselves a lot.”

 

“I say we leave them here.”

 

“No. This could be an opportunity.”

 

“An opportunity for what?”

 

“Lets take them to Vultaire.”

 

Evan hissed in displeasure, but grabbed the black cub and got on his speeder. He had a very bad feeling about the whole situation, and he only hoped that Vultaire decided to just get rid of the cubs.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

The vulture looked critically at the cubs, which had cried themselves to sleep by then. He recognized the royal emblem and considered what to do. This could be his chance to finally get the cats out of the jungle and to get the upper hand. It all depended on how high on the ladder of power the cubs’ parents were.

 

“Give them to Aura to feed. She’d find something. And send a group to search the area where they were found. Maybe we could find something useful.”

 

“Sir, what about the dark magic?” Evan insisted worriedly.

 

“Ka! Another reason to presume that the cubs were taken by an enemy of the cats. Do you really think that they would bother themselves with magic, when they have the Power Stone to give them all they could possibly want? This is our opportunity for revenge! And if it turns out that the cats are not interested we can always kill the kittens later anyway.”

 

Evan frowned. He really didn’t like it. He should have left the cubs where he had found them.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Baal was growling and cursing obsessed females to hell and back. There was only one person he could think about that could have been so stupid and crazy enough to use the kind of dark magic that Xiar had described. Where had she gotten the information to undertake a ritual, he could only guess. Xiar was convinced that she had found the old parchments that her granduncle had once been charged with guarding. The hunters had been notified that they were most likely looking for Mai, but there really was no lead to her whereabouts. She could technically be anywhere. Both Jareid and Tygra were understandably out of their minds. It was night already and they were still searching like possessed, despite the heavy rain that was currently falling. The problem was that even with the aid of tech it would take weeks, maybe months, to search the entire jungle. They needed something to point them in the right direction or they would be running around in circles forever. They had already tried to contact Myron. The jaguar had taken a communicator with him, but there had been no answer. There was also the question of what exactly Mai wanted to do with the cubs. They could be dead already for all they knew. Or worse. If their guess turned out to be wrong and Mai had nothing to do with the kidnapping, then they would be looking for the wrong person.

 

Baal had put Xiar and the shamans to find out a way to be sure. There must be some way to trace the magic that had been used. All magic left some kind of residue behind. Surely they could manage to use that. Xiar was reluctant to try because it was dark magic and none of the shamans had much practice controlling that specific kind, but they were running out of time as it was. They had to find the cubs soon. Baal knew that his son was barely holding himself together and Tygra was going to run himself into exhaustion. It would be devastating if they didn’t find them.

 

Xiar and the most powerful of the shamans were presently at the temple, trying to find a way to trace the shadows. Baal was in his study, tracking his son and son in law with the coms. The Chief Commander was leading the search, though by that point the priority had changed to keep both the heir and his mate safe. Baal was considering the best way to bring Jareid and Tygra back to the palace. As anxious and angry as they both were, they would likely drive themselves sick. They were not going to stop willingly now, and that would be counterproductive.

 

He heard the door opening and soft steps getting closer. He frowned and acknowledged his visitor without taking his sight from the window.

 

“You should be in your room Lion-O. You’d need your sleep.”

 

“I’m sorry Sir. I couldn’t sleep.” Said the lion anxiously. Baal sighed.

 

“We are taking care of everything. We will find the cubs. If you want to help, maybe you could try to convince your brother to return and have some sleep himself.”

 

“I’d try. Sir, I’ve been thinking, my father used to say that the Sword of Omens was more than just a weapon.”

 

Baal frowned and turned around, unsure of what the little lion was suggesting. “The Sword?”

 

Lion-O nodded and licked his lips. He was disclosing a big secret, but if Baal could use the Sword and was the Lord of the Thundercats now, he had to know.

 

“My father said that it could recognize danger, and would know if something really bad was about to happen. He said that it especially protected the royal family, and that the Lord of the Thundercats only had to use it, see through it, and he would know what the danger was.”

 

Baal looked at the young lion, considering. He had read about the Sword of Omens’ power. It was said that it guided the Lord of the Thundercats to victory. But until now he had thought that it was merely a powerful weapon, useful only in an actual battle. It would have never occurred to him to use it in any other fashion.

 

“See through it? How’s that supposed to work?”

 

“Well, father said you had to hold it upright in front of your face, so the Eye of Thundera is at your eyes’ level and looking outwards. If the Sword considers you a worthy Lord, it’ll show you what you need to know.”

 

‘ _What I need to know. Interesting phrasing._ ’ He thought.

 

The kit’s idea had merit though, and he lost no time in going to his personal armoury, where both the Sword of Omens and the Tech Stone were held under special security. Lion-O followed him, anxious to see if his suggestion was any worth. Baal didn’t stop him, the kit could be useful if he needed more information, or to contact someone.

 

They entered the armoury and walked all through it to the left side. Lion-O looked around him in slight awe at all the weapons displayed in special shelves. Some of them looked weird and some were clearly just traditional weaponry. Finally, Baal stood in front of a bare section of the wall and put his hand on the shelf that stood to his left, just below a wicked looking helmet. There was a faint hissing noise and the wall slid open to reveal a dark and small alcove. There were two display cases in there, each one like a column made of glass. Inside one, there was something that resembled a piece of circuit tablet, only round, and in the other was the Sword of Omens, encased in its gauntlet. The Eye of Thundera was visible, and shining with an eerie red light.

 

Baal narrowed his eyes and inspected the Sword. The War Stone had not been like this when he had taken it from Claudus. Maybe this meant that it indeed perceived danger somehow. He pressed some unseen button on the stand and the showcase opened. Now Baal and Lion-O could hear the sound coming from the Sword. It was like a low roar, like it was calling. Baal took the handle and the roar stopped. The red light however didn’t diminish as Baal unsheathed the Sword and held it in front of himself as Lion-O had instructed. Immediately, the guard changed shape and Baal found himself looking through two circular pieces like a binocular. A series of images started to pass before his sight, almost too fast for him to caught any detail, but he could make sense of enough of them.

 

The nursery. Darkness invading every corner. The shadows throwing Saixa, Snarf and Cheetara out of the way. Mai standing in a clearing in the jungle. The shadows disappearing, leaving three cubs behind. Mai walking back into the depths of the jungle. A hawk and a falcon holding one cub each. The towers of a city, just beyond the jungle. A vulture laughing.

 

The flow of images stopped and the Sword recovered its original shape. Baal looked dumbfounded for a moment before realizing that the stone had also ceased to glow a brilliant red. He sheathed the sword again and closed the case while he thought about the images he had seen. Then he turned around and started walking away. Lion-O huffed and hurried to follow.

 

“Sir? What happened Sir?”

 

“It seems that we need to get in touch with an old enemy. Go to sleep Lion-O. Your information has been very valuable indeed. We will be ready to make our move in the morning.”

 

Lion-O smiled, happy that he had been able to help. Baal returned to his study and called Xiar and the Chief Commander. They had to build a strategy. He also had to decide on the best way to make Jareid come back from his frantic search, and keep him focused enough to lead their forces efficiently.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra was feeling the full pressure of being the one expected to maintain the calm and think rationally. All he wanted to do was scream in frustration at the top of his lungs and brutalize some furniture. Jareid had been given a mild tranquilizer so they could bring him back to the palace. The jaguar prince had not been listening to reason, and would have kept searching every inch of the jungle himself. Tygra had been the one to understand that Baal had a lead to the cubs, and they needed to organize and analyze the situation with cold heads. Tygra didn’t know how he was supposed to do that. He wanted to go and retrieve his cubs now. He couldn’t stop thinking about how scared and hungry they must be, maybe even soaked if they had been exposed to the rain. They needed him. But Baal wanted to be cautious. It would do no good to rush.

 

Apparently the assumption that Mai had been the one behind the shadows had been correct. She was still somewhere in the jungle, and they needed to find her. But first they were going to secure the cubs. Tygra was grateful to his little brother for having told Baal how to wield the Sword of Omens in this case. Xiar and Baal had gone through the images that the Sword had shown the king, and had concluded that the cubs were most probably in Avista. They knew where the city was, and it would take less than an hour to fly there in the war ships. The problem was that the birds of Avista were not in friendly terms with the jaguars. Tygra remembered a small delegation of birds that had been present at the cubs’ ceremony as allies, but apparently those were from another tribe that had always lived in the jungle. Avista’s birds had never abandoned their fallen city. However, they also hadn’t made the slightest move to attack since the cats had stolen the Tech Stone from them. Technically they were still enemies, but had never made any attempt to cause a full out war. Now they had the jaguar heir’s cubs, but they seemed to have stumbled on them by accident. Maybe they didn’t even know that the cubs were royalty. But the jaguars had no way to know the Avians’ intentions if they didn’t go and ask.

 

Baal and his Chief Commander had decided to organize a well-sized group that would show the jaguars’ power without being openly hostile. They just wanted the cubs back. If the Avians returned them without stirring problems, they would grab them and leave. They also would restart the search of the jungle from Avista’s side. Seeing that the Avians had found the cubs, there would be more chances to find Mai around that area.

 

This time Baal was not going to spare her life. The entire mess had convinced him that the best way to deal with traitors and delusional, status-hungry females, was to just kill them. He was still considering the convenience of keeping her away from Jareid until a sentence could be given. Tygra really hoped that Jareid wouldn’t get to see the female before a trial could be set. He knew that his mate would not be so generous as to wait for her to be tried appropriately. The jaguar prince was going to kill her, and Tygra wasn’t going to even attempt to stop him. He very much wanted to tear the woman to shreds himself. That she had dared to use dark magic on his cubs! Very dangerous dark magic according to Xiar. Ben had explained to Tygra how the shadows were supposed to work. Apparently you needed a sacrifice to be able to call the dark spirits. Your sacrifice had to be of blood, and important enough to be exchanged for a favour. If the spirits considered that your sacrifice wasn’t enough for the favour you were asking, they’d take your soul as well. Tygra could only imagine what had been Mai’s sacrifice. Suddenly it was very suspicious the fact that it had been Mai’s mother the one found dead in the pond.

 

He insisted on helping to get everything ready, trying very hard to not get into one of the individual ships and go for his cubs. He realized that he didn’t know exactly where Avista was, and the Avians could still be hostile. So he was going to follow the plan and wait for the troops to be ready. Soon though, Baal ordered everyone to have at least a couple hours of sleep before going. He wanted everyone alert for the trip. Tygra, however, thought that he was going to need a tranquilizer too in order to be able to sleep. His only worry was to recover his cubs as soon as possible. Even so, he tried to follow the king’s command and went to his bed. Jareid was already there, half knocked out thanks to the drug still in his system, and growling unhappily. Tygra lay with him and spent several minutes turning around in the bed, until Jareid pinned him down with his body and almost crushed him in a fierce hug. He didn’t mention anything about the new claw marks adorning Tygra’s thighs, and only promised that they were going to get their cubs back.

 

Tygra had a restless sleep, and woke the moment Jareid shifted to get up. Both were ready and anxious to depart before anybody else, and thus witnessed a furious Baal getting out of his study and barking out orders to have the entire fleet ready to go in thirty minutes. Jareid and Tygra looked at each other, realizing that something bad had happened, and hurried up as everybody else. Baal would tell them what was going on soon enough and they were done with delays.

 

Baal walked decidedly towards the armoury again. The ruddy bird! That scum had dared to threaten his grandchildren’s lives! He was going to show the despicable vulture just who had the upper hand here! He didn’t know how the Avian had found one of their communicators, but he had, and had managed to use it. The vulture had established communication with the Chief Commander, and in turn with Baal. He had threatened with killing the cubs unless the cats surrendered the Tech Stone.

 

Granted, Baal had considered taking the Stone with them and in fact using it as a bargaining chip. He had thought that for the Avians it would be a fair exchange. The cats didn’t really need the stone anymore. It had given them knowledge and the means to start developing astounding things. But it was no longer crucial for their continued progress. They had found other means to power the machines and Thundrilium, their most important fuel, was found in abundance. They could have parted with the Stone. The cubs were more important and Baal had been willing to reward the ones that had found them.

 

But now, after Vultaire, who apparently was the leader of the Avians, had declared his intentions and had threatened the lives of the cubs, Baal was not going to negotiate anything. Leaving the Power Stone in Avista would eventually bring them a war with the Avians. He could tell that war and destruction was what the vulture had in mind. He won’t allow it. It was time to eliminate the threat before it had the chance to develop into a real danger.

 

He revealed the hidden alcove and opened the case of the Tech Stone. He would take it only as bait. Once they had the cubs, they’d recover the Stone easily. His eyes however turned sideways to the Sword and the gauntlet.

 

Why not?

 

He opened the other showcase and took the Sword of Omens too. The birds wanted a Stone of Power. Well, he’d bring them two. Let’s see if they liked it.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Evan ran hastily to his home. He didn’t like what Vultaire was planning. His instinct was telling him that it was going to end very badly. As far as he knew no one dared to bother the cats that inhabited the jungle. Oh, he had heard all about Thundera and the eternal struggle that the lizards had with them, but Ix-Maal was different. The clan of the jungle had almost no contact with the Thunderians, and they were the ones with the Tech Stone. If the tales were right, these cats had an immense source of power at their disposal. They could have all kinds of massive machines, ships and other wondrous devices working for them. There was no way they could defeat such war power. Vultaire was crazy! The vulture was counting on the cubs they had found as leverage, but they didn’t even know if the cubs were important enough for the cats to care! In Evan’s opinion they were poking a wasps’ nest unnecessarily.

 

He had hoped that Vultaire would be mad enough to attempt to cross the jungle himself. If he had decided to go and find the cats, he would have taken the danger away from Avista, hopefully to never return. Unfortunately, the birds that had searched the area where the cubs had been, had found the site of a small camp and had retrieved what looked like a walkie-talkie. They had very few of them still in working conditions, and this device had seemed much simpler. It only had a couple of buttons on it. Vultaire had been elated. He believed that he could get in touch with the cats using the device, and he’d lure them out of the jungle. He planned to use the cubs, offer their lives in exchange for the Stone. Evan hadn’t liked the idea, but no one else seemed to have any problems with it. He didn’t know if they were that dumb or if they really couldn’t see that they were no match for an army! He knew, he just knew, that the cats were going to take offence and attack them just on principle. He needed to get out of there before sunrise. He was going to take his family and leave before all hell broke loose. He entered his home, and thankfully his mate was still awake.

 

“Trina, pack the essentials and get the chicks, quickly. We have to go.”

 

“Evan? What happened?”

 

Evan explained as fast as he could while looking for a travel bag. His mate had already heard part of the news. Vultaire had made an announcement to the city, promising that he had obtained the means to get the Tech Stone back. He hadn’t, however, explained how exactly he had planed to do it. Trina was confused.

 

“But... Vultaire is doing the right thing, isn’t he? We’d finally get the Stone back.”

 

“Trina please, think for a moment. He’s issuing a threat to the cats. The same cats that have been in possession of the Stone for decades! Do you really think that they haven’t used it?”

 

The beautiful eagle blinked in confusion for a moment, and then understanding slowly reflected in her eyes.

 

“Oh, the weapons...”

 

“And everything else! The cats are specialized predators for a reason. Our species’ advantage is that we can fly, but with tech on their side they surely are very capable of that too. This is going to end very bad, and we have to get our chicks out of the way now!”

 

They hurried up and Trina even convinced her sister and a few neighbours to go with them. They were able to get out of the city while it was still dark. The guards looked at Evan questioningly, but he argued that they were going to find shelter for the chicks as a precaution. He even got charged with a few more little ones. He was happy to get them out, and just prayed that there would be enough of a city to return to.

 

&&&&&&

 

The fleet was just arriving to the border of the jungle. The towers of Avista were clearly in sight and everyone was in position. Baal was issuing the final orders, and instructing his shamans to where they needed to go. Every ship, save the one they were on, was using the invisibility field. The orders were to secure the cubs first and then attack. Avista needed to disappear once and for all. Tygra had spent the fifty minutes it had taken to reach the city pacing the ship anxiously. Baal had informed them about the threat the birds had issued and he was furious and worried as hell. Ordinarily he would have protested against the destruction of an entire city, but at the moment he really didn’t care. He wanted his cubs back and safe. Being apart from them was driving him insane. He hadn’t even noticed that Baal had brought the Sword.

 

The king had not yet told the parents that they probably were only going to find two of the cubs. He wanted to take care of Avista first, so they could focus on finding Mai immediately after. Besides, he didn’t think that Mai would harm the cub she had taken, and he was convinced that it had been Itzamma. He was the one that showed more his jaguar heritage after all. Though he also knew that they needed to find her as soon as possible, as no one really knew how stable she could be after she had summoned the shadows. Baal expected to finish with the birds quickly and then start the search of this side of the jungle without delay. To that end, Jareid was in another ship, waiting for the moment to land and start inspecting the jungle with a group of hunters. As good as Jareid’s violence was in the middle of a conflict, Baal preferred to have him directing his energy towards hunting their errant female. He didn’t want his volatile son to inadvertently provoke a reaction that could harm the cubs.

 

The ship approached the city and the pilot started to search a spot to land.

 

“My king, there’s a group of crows signalling a platform. We’re going to land very close to the towers.”

 

“Good. Proceed with caution and don’t let the shields down. They have tech too, and we don’t know how advanced it is.”

 

“Do you think they’d be able to sense the invisibility suits?”

 

“With a good enough radar they will. That’s why only Xiar would be following us. If we see that no one notices him, then he’s going to give the signal and you can start searching the place. We’d give the order for the troops to proceed once we have the cubs.”

 

A quick scan revealed that the guards were only carrying laser guns. There didn’t seem to be any other advanced weapon in sight. Baal got out of the ship, followed by Tygra and three warriors. Xiar had taken an invisibility suit and followed them, keeping his distance. Five guards received them, and showed them the way into the palace. No one made any indication that they were aware of the invisible cat following the group.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The short walk inside the birds’ palace was enough for Baal to realize that Avista had lost whatever technology it once had. He was astounded that they apparently had depended on the Tech Stone so much. He had never seen the floating city, but he had imagined it to be at least as efficient as Ix-Maal. What he was seeing at the moment didn’t even resemble Thundera. It was more like the birds had found some ruins and had taken residency in them, not bothering to repair any of it. He didn’t know if the rest of the city was in a similar state, but so far he was unimpressed with the birds’ adaptability skills. By the time they reached the main chamber his ear piece had informed him that Xiar had ordered the search of the castle, and also had decided to send the Chief Commander the signal for Jareid’s group to start searching the jungle. Baal didn’t issue a counter order. By the look of things this was going to end quicker than they had expected.

 

They entered what was supposedly the main chamber, where the vulture and several more guards received them. Vultaire was standing in the middle, with his guards around. They had old looking laser rifles with them. Behind him, a crow was holding Ixchel. Baal felt Tygra tensing up, and for a moment feared that the young tiger would jump forward and try to get his cub back. Fortunately, Tygra had a tight control on his impulses, and though he growled lowly he stayed put. Baal was grateful that the little girl was apparently asleep. Tygra would not be so controlled if she were crying.

 

Vultaire made a noise of satisfaction, seeing that his guards outnumbered the cats three to one. More so, the felines were not carrying their guns in the open, and their leader had only a Sword at his side. His plan was to strike as soon as he had the Tech Stone in his hands. They only needed to kill the king and force the rest to flee. If he was right, then the cubs they had found were royals. He took that to mean that if they take out the king, then the birds would have control over the royal family. With the Tech Stone back, and the cats leaderless, they would get the so desired revenge. The cats had only brought one ship, so they weren’t expecting to engage into a battle. That worked just fine with Vultaire’s plans. Maybe they’d even manage to secure the ship, and the Tech Stone would produce an entire fleet for them. His eyes fell on the orange cat that came with the king. He noticed the tense and aggressive posture, as well as the way the brown eyes were fixated in the cub. So, this was the father. Vultaire smirked inwardly. The father would be more careless, and at the same time more willing to do what Vultaire wanted to have his cubs back. As long as they kept the black cub out of sight, Vultaire believed that the cats wouldn’t dare to do anything risky.

 

Baal scowled at the vulture, and after a quick assessment of the room showed his teeth to indicate his displeasure.

 

“You said you had our lost cubs Vultaire. I see only one.”

 

The vulture gave a pleased croak and assumed a relaxed stance.

 

“Yes. You see Baal, you’re Baal aren’t you? The black cub would be produced after we have the Tech Stone secured back where it belongs. Not before.”

 

Baal cocked his head. That was confirmation enough that only two of the cubs were in Avista. Mai indeed took Itzamma, so Akbal was somewhere in the building.

 

“How do I know that they are unharmed?”

 

“Well, you’d have to hand out the Stone first, wouldn’t you?”

 

“I may decide to just turn around and leave. You are not even showing us the girl entirely, and I have no guarantee that the boy is still alive.”

 

Tygra clenched his fists and teeth. Baal was only buying time, but it was hard to stay in place and not say a word when his instinct was screaming at him to go and snatch Ixchel back. Vultaire clacked his beak a couple of times. The cat was trying to get the upper hand, and he won’t have it. Time to put pressure on them. It would push the father over the edge. He snapped his fingers and the crow holding the babe produced a dagger. Tygra’s eyes widened and he actually gave a step forwards before one of their escorts grabbed his arm. His growl could be heard now, and Baal knew that he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself much longer. The king was relatively sure that the birds would be slow in the counterattack if surprised enough. Still, he staled just a bit more to give Bengali more time to find Akbal before any alarm was given.

 

“Not a very honourable bird, are you?”

 

“I think we both know who has the cards here. You’ve already as good as accepted that the two cubs are very important. Maybe we should test just how much more important than the Tech Stone they are.”

 

The crow holding Ixchel was smirking, Baal knew even without looking at the bird. He stared at his foe for some moments, and then thankfully listened to Ben’s voice in his ear, announcing that they had localized Akbal. The king made a disgusted face at the vulture and produced the Tech Stone from inside his pocket.

 

Vultaire’s eyes positively gleamed at the sight of the Stone. Its power could be felt even from afar. There was no way the cat could trick them. He extended his hand towards his prize. Practically all the birds had their eyes on the Tech Stone, and no one noticed Baal’s other hand caressing the guard of the Sword.

 

A number of things happened in fast succession then.

 

Baal opened his hand, letting the Stone fall into Vultaire’s open palm. The vulture almost greedily snatched it.

 

A weapon was fired. The blast of laser went directly to Baal’s head, but it dissipated just steps from hitting its target as some invisible object got in its way.

 

The cat guards suddenly disappeared and Tygra was free from the arm grounding him. He quickly took out his whip, released it and sent it directly to the crow carrying his cub. The whip trapped the crow’s hand holding the dagger, going a few times around the wrist. Tygra pulled with all his might and both crow and cub fell to the floor.

 

All hell broke loose then. Weapons started to fire in every direction and bodies begun to fall as the birds tried to take cover and fire aimlessly. Tygra soon was over the crow and broke his neck with a quick movement. Then he grabbed Ixchel, who was already crying, and moved to the walls to get out of the crossfire.

 

Vultaire looked around him in utter surprise. He didn’t have the chance to comprehend what had happened before Baal jumped on him. The vulture screeched in pain and looked down to find the Sword of Omens buried to the hilt into his navel. He barely looked up again in frozen horror at the vindictive eyes of the cat.

 

“Yo...y-you...” He started coughing. He could taste the blood in his mouth. Baal smirked at him.

 

“I could have given you what you wanted. We can live perfectly well without the Tech Stone. We are not useless like you lot.” A hand grabbed the dying bird by the back of the head, pulling him closer to the cat’s snarl. “But no one. No one. Threatens me and my family and gets away with it. Stupid bird.”

 

Baal let Vultaire’s head go, and with a quick movement broke the Avian’s right wrist, so the bird would open the hand holding the Tech Stone. The jaguar retrieved it at once. He didn’t have the inclination to wait until the bird was dead. The Stone returned to the safety of his pocket and he enabled the mic on his communicator.

 

“Ben, are you finished?”

 

“Yes Sir, we have secured Akbal.”

 

“Good. Captain, let’s proceed.”

 

“Yes Sir.”

 

The com was turned off, and the jaguar took the Sword of Omens out of his victim’s body, leaving a huge open gash behind. He didn’t bother to look around to see the carnage. The shooting had ceased by then.

 

“Five minutes.”

 

He marched towards the exit, cleaning the Sword’s blade as he walked. Tygra was quickly at his side, and the rest of his warriors followed. Tygra was holding Ixchel tightly and murmuring soothingly in her ear. The little girl was sobbing uncontrollably, but was apparently unharmed.

 

The group arrived to the platform where the ship was waiting with practically no resistance. Once on the open they could hear the screams and explosions as the fleet was finally visible and blasting everything on sight. Tygra didn’t even notice. His entire focus was on his cub, and he practically flew inside the ship, anxious to get to Ben and his twins.

 

As soon as the last jaguar was on board, the ship took off. Not two seconds later, a powerful blast destroyed what was left of the palace. Baal started to communicate with the Commander and his son, to see if they had found some lead to Mai. Meanwhile, Tygra was about to have an apoplexy.

 

“And Itzamma? Ben, where is Itzamma? What happened to my cub?!”

 

“Easy Tygra, calm down...”

 

“Where is my cub?! Do not tell me to calm down!”

 

“He wasn’t in the building. The bird that was guarding Akbal assured us that they had found only two cubs.”

 

“What?!!”

 

“Calm down Tygra.” Baal’s voice interrupted the tiger’s meltdown. “It’s a sure bet that Mai has him, and we will find her. The hunters would not let her escape. Tend to your other two cubs. Make sure they’re not hurt and feed them. Mai couldn’t have gone far.”

 

Tygra made a distressed sound, but obeyed. He retired to a corner of the ship, where Ben handed him the bag that they had prepared. He checked both cubs consciously, and fed them. Ixchel accepted the milk after some coaxing, but Akbal was very agitated and only wanted to be held. Tygra growled when he discovered that his cubs were dirty and had a rash. He cleaned and groomed both of them with care, until they relaxed a bit. The tiger got as comfortable as possible, cuddling both cubs to his chest. The two continued sobbing for some time and Akbal started to bite his father’s shoulder. Tygra kissed them frequently, all the time thinking about his still missing cub.

 

_‘Great Thunder, please, let Itzamma be ok. Please.’_

 

&&&&&&&

 

Jareid was losing the tenuous control he still had. He had wanted to go with his father and his mate to rip the birds apart, but was convinced to hunt down Mai instead. He had only accepted because he had figured out that he could discharge all his anger on her without Tygra trying to stop him. But they had been on the search for an hour already, and all they had found had been the site of a camping and the cave where they supposed she had made the ritual. The shamans had taken on the cave, and had discovered the residual black energy permeating every corner of it. There hadn’t been any clues to where Mai had gone, and there had been no sign of Myron either. The hunters had also discovered the marks of a hover bike. That was really a problem. If Mai somehow had procured herself a vehicle she could be miles away. At that point Jareid had been understandably upset, but his mood had turned right down murderous when they had received the news that Mai had in fact taken one of the cubs with her.

 

The prince was just about ready to start burning the vegetation to make her show herself. He would have done it if he had been sure that she was still close by. As things were, they had been ready to move to other locations using the individual pods that allowed better manoeuvrability among the trees. However, Baal suddenly gave the order to abandon the search and turn back. Jareid was shocked by the decision and technically screamed at his father on the communicator. Baal stayed firm. He reinforced his order, and told his son to board the lead ship.

 

Jareid was very angry, and he demanded an explanation as soon as he was inside the cabin. Tygra was also there, still holding tight to his two cubs, and wondering what had happened himself. Both parents were distraught, but they calmed down a little when Baal explained that he had received a message from Xilara. Apparently, they had gotten a lead at home and Kaleb had found Mai and the missing cub. Tygra gave a deep sigh of relief upon hearing that, and Jareid started to ask questions and drive everybody insane. Baal managed to quell his son’s anxiety, and promised that they would arrive home shortly. He prayed that Itzamma was unharmed because he very much doubted that his son’s sanity would take any more bad news.

 


	26. Retrieval

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before Grune found Mum-Ra, a different war tore the city of Thundera apart, taking both princes to a very different life. AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Mentions of negligence and child endangerment in this chapter. Violence. Character death.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  
> 
> Thank you to the readers that had written a review. They are much appreciated.
> 
>  

Mai was slowly making her way through the jungle. She wanted to leave the site of the rite well behind her, so there would be no delays when the guard found her. She was sure that the royal guard would track her cub immediately, and would take them both back to the city. Jareid would receive her with open arms, happy that she had proved that no one would keep her apart from her cub. A cub that was presently crying, rather loudly.

 

Mai didn’t seem to understand that the cub was very distressed. She didn’t give any indication that she was listening to his cries as she continued walking. After some time, she sat down at the foot of a big tree and started humming a nursery song. Itzamma hadn’t stopped crying. He wriggled and turned, but Mai only tightened her hold on him. She finally turned her eyes fully on him and rocked back and forth.

 

“Shhh... Shush my little one. I know, I know... You surely missed me. I’m sorry I had to leave. There were many cats that wanted to keep me away, but now everything will be fine. Your father will come for us dear. He must have been outraged, not knowing what happened to me. The gods only know what your grandfather told him! But he will fix this. You’d see.”

 

Itzamma continued crying.

 

The minutes passed by, and Mai started to feel restless. Why were they taking so long? The cub also wasn’t giving any indication that he was going to settle down any time soon. Mai huffed and looked at the small kitten tiredly.

 

“Don’t cry Jareed. I know you must be hungry, but you’d have to wait ‘till we’re home to eat. I hope that your wet nurse is ready for you the moment we arrive.”

 

Itzamma didn’t stop. He tried to wriggle out of Mai’s arms. The jaguaress readjusted her hold and scowled.

 

“Jareed, stop it. It’s unbecoming of a prince to cry in this way!”

 

The cub won’t shut up. Mai growled under her breath. She didn’t have any idea of what she could do to calm him down. She wondered if the tracking device was working properly. Perhaps she should have checked. She awkwardly manoeuvred Itzamma, so she could look for the tracking device without losing her hold on him. Only to discover that there was no such device on his person. No one had ever expected any of the cubs to get lost, especially when they weren’t walking yet. Mai was befuddled for a moment, and then she raged in anger. How foolish was the royal guard? The tiger could have attempted to kidnap the heir at any minute! She was going to have words with the commander as soon as they get home.

 

Now she was faced with a problem. It would take weeks for her to walk back to the city! And the jungle wasn’t without dangers. She knew that her father had taken a communicator with him. She would have to go back and find it.

 

She was about to retrace her steps when a familiar voice sounded from above.

 

“That brat doesn’t sound happy. Are you sure you should be holding him so tight?”

 

Mai looked upwards and frowned. That damned monkey wasn’t supposed to come back! She had instructed him clearly what he had to do and had given him a family heirloom as payment. She totally planned to tell him to get lost before her eyes locked on the hover bike the monkey was riding. A hover bike! Her mother’s hover bike to be precise. That explained the fact that he was there at all. He should have been still around the city. Mai growled and took a step back.

 

“As if you know anything about cubs!”

 

“I know, merely by common sense, that he shouldn’t be crying that loud.”

 

“He’s just hungry. How did you manage to drive the hover bike? You thief!”

 

“It’s not so difficult. And the previous owner wouldn’t need it anymore, why let it go to waste?”

 

“Well, it’s technically mine now. So, hand it over!”

 

“I don’t think so. It’s pretty entertaining, and I find it very convenient.”

 

She growled, but realized that she wasn’t going to get anything from the monkey while he had a vehicle. A thought occurred to her then. She could use the stupid creature. It could take days for the guard to find her without the tracking device, and she needed to get back home immediately.

 

“Listen, if you take me to the city I’d make sure that you are generously rewarded.”

 

The monkey, Barius was his name, cocked his head to the side considering the propose.

 

“Really? How generous are we talking about?”

 

“Well, my cub is in direct line to the throne. My mate would be willing to part with a small fortune for the one who helped us.”

 

Barius narrowed his eyes. If the cub was royal he sure was worth a lot, but what was he doing here? He was certain that the female hadn’t had any cub when he had first found her. She had been desperate to get rid of the other, older female though, and adamant that it had to be done on a specific date. He looked at the crying infant. He didn’t look happy to be in his supposed mother’s arms. Barius decided to play along. He was sure that he could easily overpower the female if she tried something tricky. He could perhaps find out a bit more about the cub, and if he was any worth he could get a few riches. He manoeuvred the stolen vehicle down and helped the female on board.

 

Mai mounted the bike behind Barius. She secured the cub to her chest, holding him with one arm circling his torso under his little arms, and fitting the tiny body in the space between her and the monkey. Itzamma ended up sitting on Mai’s lap, looking outwards.

 

“Ready puss? Get a good hold on that babe.”

 

“Don’t you dare call me that! You barbarian!”

 

“Here we go!”

 

The hover bike started at high speed and May had to hold on tightly with only one arm to the broad chest of the male. The beast evidently didn’t know how to drive a hover bike, given how the thing jerked and turned before the pilot decided on a direction. He was going fast though, so Mai expected to get close to the city before the stupid creature could get them killed.

 

Itzamma didn’t like the new form of transportation. After several minutes of stunned silence, while the cub processed the new speed at which he was moving, the crying started anew. Mai tried to shush the infant, holding him a little tighter to prevent any falls.

 

“Shush, Jareed. We’d be home shortly. It’s unbecoming for the heir to cry.”

 

Itzamma only cried louder. The monkey grunted in displeasure. The hover bike didn’t make much noise, but at the speed they were going, the wind was howling enough to partially deafen him. Even so, he could still hear the cries, and the frankly lame efforts of the female to make the babe stop. After another half hour of continuous wailing Barius was starting to wonder if the cub was broken.

 

Eventually, they arrived to an area completely obscured by clouds and started to feel the soft breeze of incoming rain. Barius frowned. He didn’t fancy getting soaked, and water could come in any fashion, from a few droplets to a sudden full-fledged storm. Besides, he wasn’t sure if ridding his stolen vehicle under the rain would be safe.

 

“We’d be stopping for now. Weather could turn out nasty from one moment to the other.”

 

“What?! No way! We need to get to the city now!”

 

“Look, the cub is upset enough as it is. You won’t want to get him all wet and even more miserable. He could get sick.” Frankly, he was surprised that the little thing had managed to keep crying for that long without throwing up or suffocating. Mai however didn’t relent in her demands.

 

“He is the heir! He won’t get sick from a little rain, and the Shamans would fix whatever is wrong with him. I won’t delay my happy reunion with Jareid any longer!”

 

Barius gritted his teeth. A light rain was starting to fall, and as fast as they were going it felt like a myriad little nails on the face. He slowed down a bit.

 

“What are you doing? Go faster!”

 

The monkey growled, ready to tell off the bothersome female. A sudden gust of wind stopped him. The hover bike jerked, and for a moment Barius had to held on tight to not fall. Mai yelped. The sudden movement made Itzamma grab her arm with both hands. Tiny, but incredibly sharp claws, sunk into her flesh and her hold loosened slightly in response. She hissed. There was a moment of panicked confusion while Barius took control of the bike. Mai tightened her hold again and hissed angrily to the cub.

 

“Jareed! Do not use your claws! You’re safe enough! Let go!”

 

She turned her arm a little to make the cub dislodge his claws. Tiny punctures were barely visible in her skin. Itzamma was silent. His eyes fixed on the dots of blood that had come out from Mai’s arm. He moved one of his little hands around, seemingly fascinated with it. Mai was satisfied that her cub had obeyed her and turned to Barius to demand again for the vehicle to go faster. All of a sudden though, Itzamma latched on her arm again. She felt the tiny claws scratching this time, and she screamed.

 

“Jareed! I told you to stop! Stop it!”

 

The cub paid her no mind. He started to wriggle madly while scratching everything he could reach. Another blow of wind caught them and Barius turned the bike sharply. Mai loosened her hold on Itzamma enough for the cub to wriggle free. Suddenly he was slipping from her arm and plummeting down. Mai screamed in terror as she lost her cub from sight.

 

“No! Jareed! Go down! Get down! We must go for him!”

 

Barius looked down and landed at a clearing. The cub was most likely dead, but it was a good opportunity to get rid of the female. He had already decided that she was more trouble than she was worth. He also had the sneaking suspicion that the cats would murder him if he took her back into their city. There must be some reason why she had been so far away from it after all.

 

They landed, and Mai immediately ran to the area where her cub had fallen. She didn’t notice the monkey leaving. She just threaded through the jungle with desperation, calling the name that in her mind was the most logical choice for her cub. She heard faint crying ahead of her and hurried up to it. Soon she found a breach among some bushes and gasped in shock. The cub was on the ground, still crying and crawling awkwardly towards the vegetation. All around him were shadowy, amorphous figures that seemed to be hovering and following him. Mai struggled with the bushes, and practically ran to pick up her cub.

 

“Go! Go away! Don’t touch him! Don’t touch him! He’s mine!”

 

She held Itzamma tightly to her chest, ignoring the wriggling and wailing, and yelled at the darkness.

 

“He’s mine! You gave him to me! I paid the price! You have no right to him!”

 

The shadows moved and surrounded her for a moment before dissipating. Mai turned around and ran. She had to return to the city. The Shamans would know what to do to keep the shadows away from her cub.

 

She arrived to the clearing to find it bereft of both monkey and hover bike. She screamed the monkey’s name a few times before convincing herself that he was gone. She raged in fury for a moment, cursing all the animals in existence. After a while she tired up and quickly checked her cub. He was sobbing, evidently tired and scared, but apparently unhurt. It didn’t occur to her to wonder how he had survived the fall. She was more concerned over the fact that the shadows had been still there, probably following them. Maybe she had gained some sort of control over them with the ritual? Could she call them at any time? The Shamans would know. Xiar would give her answers. If there was need to be rid of them, the Shamans would help her. She only needed to get to the city.

 

She looked around the small clearing, wondering where she was. Eventually, she chose the direction where she thought the hover bike had been heading and started to walk. They shouldn’t be far from home. They had covered many miles on the bike, at least it had seemed like it. The river should be close by.

 

She walked for what felt like hours. Itzamma was still whimpering and sobbing. He scratched her every opportunity he got, and Mai was getting tired. Thankfully it was just drizzling, but their clothes already felt wet. It was getting late, and still there was no sign of the river. The darkness was taking over and she started to imagine all kind of predators that could eat them.

 

She about jumped a few feet in the air when Itzamma started crying again in earnest.

 

“Sht. Jareed, be quiet. You’re going to attract a beast, and we don’t need that.”

 

The cub apparently couldn’t care less. He continued crying and wriggling in Mai’s arms, trying again to scratch and bite her. Frustrated, the woman held him at arms’ length and glared.

 

“Stop it. Jareed, stop it! You’re acting like a spoiled child! This is what you get when you put a tiger to take care of the heir. It’s disgusting! Stop it I tell you!”

 

She shook the cub a little to make him listen. If possible, Itzamma’s cries only grew louder. Mai shook him again, yelling at him to stop. Itzamma retched and threw up quite a bit of bile.

 

“Oh, for the Great Mother of Thunder! This is disgusting!”

 

She turned the little boy face down, hand already up to deliver a good spank to the little bum, when the branches above her moved and something fell to the ground right in front of her. Mai screamed and turned around, almost colliding with another figure that had suddenly materialized at her back. She held her cub tightly again, and looked around, seeing more figures closing on her.

 

“Stay back! You have no right to be here, go away!” She shouted, believing that the shadows were back. But then someone produced a light, and the figures became much clearer.

 

“On the contrary, cat. It is you the one who has no right to be on this side of the jungle. You’re the one who’s clearly trespassing.”

 

Mai’s eyes widened in a moment of shock. Then she made a strangled sound between relief and disbelief. That stupid monkey! In front of her were the Kan-meech. A tribe of lean, brown with yellow stripes lizards, which dared to inhabit the jungle. The jaguars’ jungle, thought Mai stubbornly. As far as she was concerned no one else had any right to call the Kaanuk jungle their home. Sure, it was _the biggest_ jungle in the planet, but it was still the jaguars’ territory. All of it! Mai refused to believe that the lizards in front of her, the colony of birds at the far northwest, the disgusting monkeys, and the caimans that lived down the river, were nothing else but trespassers. They were tolerated there, though she didn’t understand why. As soon as Jareid was king she was going to convince him to do something about all of them. They couldn’t be allowed to steal the riches of the jungle any longer.

 

First though, she needed to return to the city, and she still needed help. The lizards’ settlement was the closest to Ix-Maal, but it was still a good 400 miles away. She knew that the Kan-meech had the means to take her home, and she thought it was their obligation to help her. She wasn’t so fool as to speak her mind openly, not yet at least, but she thought they would see the desperate situation she was in.

 

“I’m not trespassing, I merely didn’t know where I was. I’m lost.”

 

The lizard that seemed to be in charge stepped forwards. It was night already, and with help of the torch Mai could only distinguish the slender frame, scarce clothing, and large neck and face that were the lizards’ trademark.

 

“You’re a bit far away from your home to be just lost. And with a hatchling. It’s unlikely that you have just happened to walk this far.”

 

“My _cub_ is prince Jareid’s son. We were kidnapped this morning and abandoned here! I’m trying to return home!”

 

The torch got closer, and the bright green eyes of the lizard narrowed. Mai fidgeted a moment, trying to look like a damsel in distress, and at the same time praying for the child to shut up. Finally, the lizard moved his head minutely to the left.

 

“Come. Our chief would decide what to do.”

 

Mai huffed and followed the light of the torch. The rest of the lizards disappeared from sight, but she was sure that they were following them. She rocked Jareed up and down, thinking that they were going to be home shortly. Then, she would have some strong words with the governess taking on Jareed’s education. This was no way for the heir to behave!

 

&&&&&&&

 

Anlee didn’t like the female cat. His group had been returning from hunting, and had spotted her wandering around their territory. They had been watching her for a while, and had been growing increasingly disturbed by the hatchling’s cries. Whoever the female was, she evidently had no idea of what to do with a hatchling. Therefore, she was not the babe’s mother. Anlee didn’t know if he should believe her claim to have been kidnapped. It was difficult to imagine that anyone would go through the trouble of kidnapping somebody, only to abandon his or her hostage in the middle of the jungle. Likewise, he seriously doubted that any of the jungle inhabitants would be so stupid as to kidnap a member of the cats’ royal family. He needed to take this situation to his father, the village’s chief. If the female was telling the truth, they would need to get in touch with the cats’ city.

 

He looked towards the babe again, trying to identify him.

 

The Kan-meech had a pact with the cats. They had agreed long ago to respect each other’s territory, and occasionally trade goods. The cats were powerful, but not unreasonable, and knew perfectly well the value of an alliance. It had been as allies that Anlee and his father had been present at the celebration, when prince Jareid had introduced his mate and three hatchlings. Anlee and Chief Deevayo had wondered who had been the mother of the little ones. They hadn’t asked though, because it would have been rude.

 

This babe looked like one of the royal hatchlings, but Anlee could only tell by the colouring. He had never been very good at telling one particular cat apart from the others. Not if he hadn’t had close personal contact with said cat for some reason. To him, the babe could be any cat’s. He was however, convinced that the female was not a proper caretaker, and he doubted that the babe’s parents had put their son in her arms willingly. No one would trust a hatchling into the care of someone who was so clearly inept at the task.

 

The group walked for a few minutes, and then stopped before the trunk of a big tree. Anlee whistled a signal and a large box, made of wood and vines came down from the top. Anlee, Mai and the torchbearer got inside. They started to ascend slowly, and both lizards focused their attention on the hatchling. His crying had not lessened one bit, and by the constant wriggling it was evident that he was doing everything he could to get loose. The female’s arms were sporting angry scratch marks and she was struggling to hold the kitten still. The babe had no teeth yet, or Anlee was sure that the female would be missing a chunk of meat already.

 

They arrived to a wooden platform and were received by some of the warriors. The Kan-meech village consisted of a series of bungalows and shacks, connected by wooden bridges and platforms among the top of the trees. They were high enough to be away from most heavy predators, and they received more rain and sun.

 

Anlee escorted the cat and her charge to the centre of the settlement. The ruckus that the hatchling was doing attracted a good deal of attention. So, they had quite an entourage when they arrived to the Chief’s bungalow. Chief Deevayo and his mate Taira were already at the door. Their eyes focused on the jaguaress for a moment before widening at the sight of the extremely unhappy babe she was carrying. Taira pressed her lips in a tight line. She could sense that something was extremely wrong, and she assumed it was because of the jaguaress. Her hands itched to go and show the other female the proper way to carry a hatchling. The poor kitten was clearly uncomfortable. He was face down and with both arms pressed at his sides too tightly. He couldn’t move too much, and was going to make himself sick with all the crying. The female cat though was not doing anything to try to soothe him. Taira wondered why the jaguaress seemed more concerned with keeping the kitten’s arms still, until she noticed the thin claw marks on her skin. It was further proof that the hatchling was in distress, and it was purely the female’s fault. Taira advanced a few steps, wanting to put an end to the babe’s suffering.

 

“Allow me. I can carry him for you.”

 

“No!” Mai stopped short and growled, half turning to the side to put the cub away from the lizard. “He’s my cub, and he’s staying with me!”

 

Taira’s eyebrows lifted in incredulity. She observed the cat more attentively, but there was nothing to convince her that the jaguaress was anyone’s mother. The chief hissed in displeasure at Mai’s display.

 

“Anlee, what is she doing here?”

 

“She claims to have been kidnapped along with the hatchling and abandoned in our territory. She says that the babe is prince Jareid’s son.”

 

Deevayo narrowed his eyes and studied the crying kitten more closely. There were many torches lighting the front platform and he could distinguish the kitten’s features quite well. He did look like the prince’s first born. The female however, he didn’t recognize.

 

“Kidnapped?”

 

“Yes! A monkey took us from the palace this very morning! Surely the guard is looking for us.”

 

The Chief bit his lower lip. The monkeys were not on good terms with the cats, but he really doubted that The Grand Priest Moaro had allowed such a stupid move. Besides, what would have been the point of subtracting an infant and then abandon him? Unless the monkeys were trying to break the alliance between the Kan-meech and the jaguars. The female and the babe had been in the lizards’ territory after all.

 

It still didn’t add up. The female had said that they had been kidnapped in the morning. The cats would have started the search immediately. The Kan-meech village was close enough to Ix-Maal for the cats to have at least patrolled the borders of both territories already, if they had had any idea of where to look. And if the monkeys wanted the two species at odds, they would have left enough clues to guide the cats straight to where they wanted them. Also, his son, and other hunters and warriors, would have found the female much earlier. There was something fishy there and he didn’t like to be lied to.

 

First though, he needed to confirm the hatchling’s identity. If he actually was who the female claimed, they had a potential bigger problem than they wanted.

 

“How do I know that you’re telling the truth, and that this babe is part of the royal family?”

 

The female’s eyes widened in surprise at being questioned.

 

“How... how dare you question my words? Do you know who I am? I’m the cub’s mother!”

 

“Be as it will, I have no information about a mother of the prince’s hatchlings. As far as I know, he took a male as his mate, and is not recognizing any other as part of his family.”

 

Mai hissed in anger. She had not expected a mere lizard to actually question her.

 

“That tiger is only there temporally. I gave Jareid his heir! He loves me! As soon as we return to the palace he’s going to realize that I love him enough to keep fighting, even against the king. They forced my Jareid to mate the tiger, and tried to steal my cub and make me disappear! The gods know what they had been telling Jareid! That’s why I need to go back as soon as possible. He’s surely worried sick about us.”

 

Deevayo frowned, trying to make sense of what the female was spouting. So far, it sounded unbelievable. As far as the entire jungle knew, no one forced prince Jareid to do anything. Even them, in their village, had heard about the king’s over-indulgent ways to raise his heir. If someone had been forced into a mating, the chief was ready to bet a good deal that it had been the tiger. And steal a hatchling? Why would the king need to do that? Surely there were plenty of females in the city that would be honoured to carry the next heir. Deevayo had been dealing with the cats long enough to know that they followed their king’s lead blindly. Neither Baal, nor his son, would have any need to steal another’s child away. Besides, the cats protected their hatchlings fiercely. No one should be able to simply waltz in the city, much less the palace, and kidnap an infant.

 

The chief reasoned that the only way that this female could have been able to disappear from Ix-Maal, and get as far as the Kan-meech’s village in one day, was with some kind of help. Either she had a vehicle lying around somewhere, or her hypothetical accomplice had ditched her. Deevayo really doubted that the hatchling she was carrying was actually hers. On the other hand, she might be a bit delusional. The way she spoke about the prince exposed obsession, and a deep conviction on this love that the prince supposedly felt towards her. She was convinced of everything she was saying.

 

Deevayo hissed in scorn. No hatchling was safe in the hands of such a person. He could not in good conscience let her keep the babe any longer. He’d made contact with the city, and arrange for the cats to pick them up, but he was going to make sure that the kitten was unharmed first. If the parents had been looking for him, he would rather not have them going berserk in his village. He was very much aware of the damage the cats could inflict, and if this hatchling resulted to be indeed Jareid’s son... Well, he was pitying the female already.

 

“Shival, Nuan, take her to the guests’ flat. Taira would see that neither of them is injured.”

 

“What? No, no, we would not go to any guests’ flat!”

 

“You’d spend the night here. It is very late already and it’s raining. The hatchling needs to be seen to, and be fed. Any more exposure and he’d end up sick.”

 

“He’s not going to be sick, he’s the heir! He’d eat once we are in the palace, only his wet nurse can feed him! I know you have the means to take us, we can be there in minutes!”

 

Deevayo’s eyes widened fractionally. If there had been any doubts about the female’s state of mind, they were gone now. She was irrational. They couldn’t leave the babe in such an unbalanced person’s care.

 

“The fastest of our vehicles would take three hours to reach the city. Maybe more if the rain becomes stronger. There’s no need to risk the babe.”

 

“I have to be there now! Lend me a vehicle, I can ride it faster!”

 

Deevayo frowned. Anlee was appalled. He could see that his mother was just a step to snatch the hatchling away from the jaguaress. The cat was clearly deranged. Sure, the big battle ships that the cats owned moved insanely fast. One of them would barely leave the ground before arriving to their village and landing again. The lizards didn’t see the need for such hurry. They had accepted many of the cats’ technological merchandise, especially for healing, but the only vehicles they were comfortable with were the slow ones. And they only used them for official meetings and to carry goods for the market and festivals. The Chief didn’t even have one of the communication devices. He preferred to actually be present when someone was talking to him.

 

In the stunned silence that followed Mai’s declaration, the child suddenly stopped his crying and wriggled madly in the female’s arms. He managed to free one of his little arms and immediately scratched the hand supporting his belly. Mai hissed and loosened her hold a bit. Taira couldn’t stop herself any longer. She grabbed the hatchling and wrestled him away from the other female. Mai growled and tried to attack the lizard, but the warriors were fast to contain her. She started yelling as if possessed.

 

“No! How dare you?! Give me back my cub! He’s mine! Don’t touch him! You have no right to touch him!”

 

Deevayo made a gesture with his head and someone injected Mai with a special drug. The jaguaress still yelled at them, but slowly stopped fighting until she was almost asleep. The two warriors holding her prevented her from falling.

 

“Take her to the flat. She should sleep ‘till morning.”

 

“Yes Chief.”

 

Deevayo turned to his mate and the child. The babe was still crying softly, but he was no longer wailing his lungs out or fighting the one holding him. Taira was rubbing his back and murmuring soothing words in his ears.

 

“Can you take care of him, Taira? Tomorrow we’d send for the cats. I don’t want that female here any longer than necessary.”

 

“I can. Poor thing is very scared. He needs dry clothes and food.”

 

“There’s surely something you can feed him. Anlee, you’re going to Ix-Maal first thing tomorrow. Let’s see if we can get some sleep for now.”

 

“Yes father.”

 

&&&&&&&

 

Taira cleaned the hatchling and put him in clean and dry clothes. She did notice the emblem embroidered in the soiled nappies, thus concluding that the babe did have some relation to the royal family. The stripes on his back led her to believe that the tiger was one of his parents. She really, really hoped that the female that they had subdued was not the mother. But even if she were, Taira would justify taking the hatchling away from her. She was insane, and in no condition to care for the infant properly. If she had been telling the truth and king Baal had tried to steal the babe from her, Taira would hardly call it stealing, more like rescuing.

 

Once he was properly cleaned, Taira tried to give the little one some coconut milk. Lizard hatchlings would be eating small pieces of solid fruit already, but she knew that female cats produced milk for their babes. The little one however wasn’t accepting the sippy cup she was offering him. He was sobbing, and very restless. Taira frowned. She was the medicine woman of the village and was sensitive to certain waves of energy from her surroundings. She had sensed something from the moment she had seen the babe, but she had assumed that the jaguaress and the hatchling’s own distress had been the source. However, it hadn’t gone away. She could feel something... weird.

 

She held the babe and started murmuring some words that would let her see better what was wrong. Suddenly the candles in the room went out, and an oppressive feeling invaded the ambience. Taira stopped. Her eyes widened and she looked around at the shadows that looked much more solid than they should. The babe cried louder, and there was movement from the corners.

 

Taira closed her eyes and produced a low sound, similar to a hiss. For several moments everything seemed to freeze in the little room, only the babe’s cries were still heard. After a few minutes, Taira understood, and opened her eyes again. She changed the babe’s position, putting him upright against her chest. He tried to bite her shoulder, and his tiny hands fisted on her tunic tightly.

 

“Shh, little one. You poor thing, you were not ready for such an event to happen to you. Come sweetie, you’re growing up into such a fine shaman. I’ll tell you a secret.”

 

She chanted some verses into the babe’s ear, and the hatchling slowly quieted down. Soon, the room felt normal again and the candles’ fire came back. Satisfied, Taira tried the sippy cup again and smiled when the babe actually drank the coconut milk this time. He was hungry, the poor thing, and very exhausted. As soon as he finished the milk, he was yawning, still between sobs but calm enough to sleep. Taira went to her own room and put the hatchling on a hammock there. She tied both ends in such a way that the net hugged the little body and would not let him fall. Then she went to sleep with her mate, listening to the rain that was still falling.

 

&&&&&&&

 

The darkness stirred. It moved and flowed, changing form slightly as it went around. Several peaks seemed to go up, and then down until finally the shadows settled. It was… surprised. It seemed an eternity since it had last possessed consciousness of any kind. Perhaps millennia since its last master. It curled and unfolded, looking for the energy that had woken it up. It recognized poor remnants of the offering used to summon it. It had been a powerful rite, but no longer important. It had provoked the darkness to be in contact with a much more powerful energy. Still immature and raw, but with great potential. It had called to the dark and the shadows had latched on it. It was still close by. Their new master.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Anlee prepared one of their hover vehicles and was ready to go as soon as daylight broke the horizon. He didn’t really like the thing. Lizards were not flying animals and he felt way too vulnerable going over the trees. But he had no other way to reach Ix-Maal without taking at least five days of walking through the jungle without rest.

 

He was more than halfway to the city when he spotted several tiny blots ahead. He frowned. He was still very far, but he thought that those could be the cats’ biggest ships. A moment later, the blots started moving, and soon after that they disappeared. Anlee didn’t know what that meant, so he ignored the event and continued his way. If he flew at top speed he could be in the palace in about an hour.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Xilara sighed as she looked out the window of the nursery. She should be having breakfast, but she was not hungry. The servants and crafters were busy repairing the damage done, and the Shamans were going to implement magical protections for the entire palace. All of it was unimportant at the moment. Xilara was more worried about her own son, and the state they could find the cubs in. No one knew if the little ones had been hurt or how being in contact with dark magic could have affected them. Xilara prayed that all of them were found alive and returned home safely. Jareid and Tygra would be heartbroken if they failed in retrieving all three cubs. Most of all, she feared that Jareid would not be able to accept the loss of even one cub. She had seen her son lose his senses and resort to violence numerous times, but this was the first time that she truly feared that he might not return to sanity again. He hadn’t been overly violent, some would say that he had been actually reasonable, but she knew better. She had seen other kind of madness in his eyes. A calm, terrible dangerous one. It had been like see into the deep darkness of the deepest cenote, get drown and not resurging anymore. She had begged Baal to keep their son away from the main conflict if possible. She feared that if Jareid started to kill now, he just would not stop.

 

“Mom? Can we stay with you until they get back?”

 

Xilara turned around to see her daughter, Lion-O and Snarf at the door. She hadn’t heard them entering. She had been lost in her thoughts.

 

“Of course dear. Maybe we can start to see what can be salvaged from the room.”

 

Lion-O looked around in sadness. The servants were cleaning up the debris, and the remnants of the rocking chair and the shelves had been already retired. The rest of the furniture would no doubt be replaced, including the crib. Dark magic was too unpredictable, and no one would risk some remnant to have latched in the crib. The young lion put himself to work with Yeana, sorting out the toys that were scattered. He was miffed that he hadn’t been allowed to go with the attacking force, and worried about his brother. He prayed that his nephews and niece were ok. He knew that Tygra would be devastated if he lost even one of his little cubs. Snarf stayed on a corner with his ears down and looking miserable. Lion-O had tried to reassure him that it hadn’t been his fault, and that they would get the cubs back, but Snarf was just very depressed.

 

Snarf had been the one that had gotten it easier though. Saixa was already out of the Shamans’ wing, having no threatening injuries save a couple of bruised ribs and the remnant of a concussion. She had taken a hard blow, but was otherwise fine. Cheetara on the other hand had several broken bones, a punctured lung, and had actually stopped breathing for several minutes. The Shamans had saved her life, but she was going to take a while to recover entirely. Additionally, she was a cleric. The dark magic had affected her spirit too, as she hadn’t had any contact with it before and wouldn’t know how to deal with it. The Shamans would need to help her “clean” her spiritual energy once she had recovered physically.

 

Lion-O sighed and forced himself to pay attention to the Queen, who was talking about the new things they could acquire for the cubs. Xilara was trying to distract them. He really appreciated the effort, but wished that the adults would stop considering him a child. He wished he could help more.

 

They had been cleaning for some minutes when Saixa appeared at the door, looking a bit pale but alert.

 

“Excuse me, your majesty.”

 

“Lady Saixa, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be resting?”

 

“I’m actually very well my Queen. You don’t have to worry about me. I was growing restless in bed anyway.”

 

“Well, then you can join us.”

 

“Actually, Kaleb is asking for your presence in the small conference room. It seems that we have a visitor.”

 

Xilara frowned. A visitor? Who could it be?

 

“Do you know which of the tribes is sending a message?”

 

“I believe it’s the Kan-meech. I got a peek when I was passing the hall.”

 

Lion-O perked up. The Kan-meech was the tribe of lizards that inhabited the jungle. He had been surprised when he had first discovered that the jaguars were in fact allies with them. It was one of the many topics that he had wished to discuss with his father for ages, but just couldn’t find the proper time. He wanted to know more about them and the alliance, and his tutor had been very helpful with that.

 

The Queen sighed and got up to receive their visitor. The two young kits stood up after her. She looked at them for a moment.

 

“Come children. You’re old enough to deal with our allies.”

 

Lion-O smiled and picked Snarf up. The small group walked to the meeting, wondering what could be the issue that the lizards wanted to discuss.

 

&&&&&&&

 

A while later, Lion-O was gaping in disbelief at the lizard sitting on the chair in front of them. He couldn’t believe their luck. He was sure that the cub the messenger had described was Itzamma.

He turned to his side to see the shocked eyes of the others, though they were doing a better job to hide their surprise than him. Lion-O started to fidget. He wanted to jump into action and go to retrieve his nephew. Kaleb and the Queen though, were still cautious in their reactions.

 

“Are you sure that the cub this jaguaress carried with her is prince Jareid’s son?” Asked the councillor. He was relatively sure that it couldn’t be anyone else, but he had to be certain of the facts. Anlee shrugged.

 

“As I told you, that’s what the female kept saying. She was adamant that the babe was the prince’s and that both had been abducted. But we have no way to confirm her plead. She also insisted that she was the babe’s mother, though she didn’t look like it to us. Frankly, we thought it more likely that she was the one to kidnap the babe. She doesn’t seem stable at all.”

 

The female was Mai. It had to be. There had been no reports of any other cub missing. Xilara’s first impulse was to make contact with Baal, but he was with their forces, trying to recover the other two cubs. They probably were already in Avista, if everything had gone according to plan, they should have been engaging the birds at that moment. He couldn’t be distracted.

 

“Kaleb, take a few of the guards and go to retrieve both the jaguaress and the cub. Whatever their identities, they must be brought to the city anyway. We don’t know how long it would be before my husband is able to return. We can have a head start on this.”

 

Besides, they didn’t know if the fleet was in the middle of full-fledged war. Xilara would message her husband via their private line. He would listen to it when he was free to do so. Kaleb nodded and stood up. Lion-O stood up too, wanting to be part of the group. Xilara turned to see him and Saixa. She frowned in thought. Lion-O was already fourteen, and this was only a retrieval mission. Not at all dangerous. Saixa could be needed, especially if Itzamma was hungry. But she had just left the Shamans’ wing, and it was unorthodox to send a female that was not part of the forces in a mission. No matter how easy this mission was. Saixa however stood up too and made a small courtesy.

 

“With your permission, your majesty. I’d like to go with the squad. I can see to Itzamma’s needs, and he’d recognize me.”

 

“I’d like to go too!” Said Lion-O a bit urgently. Kaleb smiled at the lion’s exuberance. It seemed that the lot of them had already decided that the cub had to be Itzamma. “If you think it pertinent your highness.” The boy said as an afterthought, colouring a bit in embarrassment. Xilara nodded minutely.

 

“Very well. Get ready to go.”

 

“If I may your majesty.” Anlee said before everyone got out of the room. “My mother also requested a Shaman to be sent. She said that she had some things to discuss about the babe.”

 

Xilara froze for a moment. For a medicine woman to request a Shaman was a signal of something more delicate. Kaleb frowned at the lizard.

 

“You didn’t say that the cub was hurt.”

 

“He wasn’t. Not that I could see anyway. He was just very upset and hungry. Mother however could have sensed something else.”

 

That did it. Xilara was certain that the cub was Itzamma. Taira must have felt the dark magic used to abduct him. Unfortunately, both Xiar and Bengali were with the fleet, and only a handful of the Shamans had remained in the palace. She’d have to send the one that was most trustworthy at the moment. She turned to her daughter and the girl stood readily.

 

“Yeana, go find Sarai, please. Tell her that I need a word with her.”

 

“Yes, mom.”

 

The little girl ran outside the room. The rest followed to get everything ready. In short time a small squad was assorted and ready to go. Xilara watched the ships as they left and got lost in the distance. Anlee’s vehicle had taken nearly three hours in arriving to the palace, but their small ships were faster. Even so, it would take them another hour to get to the Kan-meech village. Xilara took her communicator and sent her message to Baal. Hopefully, all three cubs could be reunited with their parents by the end of the day.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Deevayo gritted his teeth and wished for the cats to be there already. Really! He could swear that the jaguaress had bird genes in her. Her screams could be heard in the entire village! The Chief turned to see his mate trying to give some fruit juice to the hatchling, who was refusing.

 

“I’m happy that at least he is quiet today.”

 

“He’s still depressed. He was very scared yesterday, but I don’t really blame him. That female can’t possibly be his mother. She is utterly deranged!”

 

“Let’s just hope that Anlee doesn’t return with a pair of enraged parents. Cats become unpredictable when they are feral.”

 

A loud noise was heard suddenly, followed by frantic screams and swearing. Deevayo went immediately to his front door and opened it. A few warriors passed by running with buckets of water.

 

“What is happening?”

 

“The female has tried to set fire to the bungalow, Chief.”

 

“While still being inside?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Deevayo groaned and shook his head. Taira joined him in their porch, looking in bewilderment at the commotion.

 

“See? Just what I was saying!”

 

He was tempted to order his people to just leave the jaguaress alone. Surely the cats wouldn’t hold him accountable if she happened to kill herself? However, he couldn’t really predict what Baal’s reaction would be to a cat dying while in the lizards’ custody. Even if it was an annoying and psychotic one. Not to say that, if for some unfortunate turn of events the female resulted to actually be the hatchling’s mother he would need her alive, so the reason to separate both would be clearly exposed. As unlikely as that was, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility just yet.

 

After some moments, he could see that the fire had been dealt with. The screams started anew. The female was clearly frustrated with her failure at escape. She was threatening with sending the cats’ forces to exterminate the village, and demanding the hatchling back. Deevayo looked at his second son, who was in charge of the warriors for the moment, and sighed heavily.

 

“How long has it been since Anlee departed?”

 

“A little more than four hours father. He should be on his way back already.”

 

“Now I wish we had some way to communicate with him. Perhaps I would accept some of those calling things the cats keep offering me.”

 

“To be fair, we had never been confronted with such a situation like this before.”

 

“I pray for nothing like it to ever happen again.”

 

It was a long half-hour later that a small contingent of vehicles landed on the special platform of the village. A small ship, big enough to carry at least ten people, surrounded by five hover bikes and towing Anlee’s vehicle safely. Anlee got out of the ship as soon as it touched floor, followed by the cats’ first councillor, a Shaman, a female, a young lion carrying a pet, and three royal guards.

 

Deevayo greeted Kaleb formally, and then observed the rest of the entourage. He noticed the distinct lack of any member of the royal family.

 

“I’m assuming that you were sent to verify the hatchling’s identity. Can I trust that you will take the jaguaress away from here, even if her claims turn out to be lies?”

 

“Of course. She’s a cat, and whoever she turns out to be, it would be us making the inquiries. Though if she is who I suppose, she’s going to be in very deep trouble very soon.”

 

They had started walking to the central bungalow, and soon they heard the furious screams of the imprisoned female. Kaleb lifted his eyebrows, appalled.

 

“Whiskers. I think that my suspicion is now a certainty. How on Third Earth could you sleep with that noise?”

 

“We drugged her. Frankly, I would have ordered my men to do it again, if not for the fact that it would be detrimental to her health if she received a second dosage.”

 

“That would have been the less of her problems, believe me. I assume you took the cub from her?”

 

“Of course. Taira wouldn’t have left any hatchling with such an unstable caregiver. She has him in our home.”

 

Anlee and one of the guards escorted Saixa, Lion-O and Sarai to the Chief’s bungalow to retrieve their cub, while Kaleb continued to see to Mai’s detention.

 

Taira received her visitors in the sitting room, and seeing a female with them she handed her the babe. Both Saixa and Lion-O were very happy to see him, and she hugged him with care.

 

“Itzamma! Thank the Thunder that you’re here! Sweety, we’ve been so worried!”

 

Itzamma screeched happily in recognition and held tightly to Saixa’s clothes. The jaguaress sat on one couch and proceeded to kiss and inspect the cub thoroughly. Lion-O sat beside her and kissed his nephew too, earning a pull on his mane and happy babbling.

 

“Tygra is going to be so relieved. He’s not hurt, right?” Lion-O asked their host. Taira was smiling at them, believing that this female must be the little one’s mother.

 

“He was very upset. And frankly he had reason to. I’ve never seen such appalling neglect as what the female was showing. Even our warriors could tell that she had no idea about how to treat a babe. I don’t think he has sustained any physical injury save lack of appropriate food. However, I do feel obligated to have a few words with your Shaman, please?”

 

Sarai, who had been watching avidly at Itzamma and considering his reactions, turned to the medicine woman and nodded. She was fairly sure that Taira would have found some remnant of dark magic and wanted to be sure that the cub would be treated as soon as possible. She hoped that Xiar and Bengali would be able to take care of the problem. How Mai had ever thought that it was a good idea to call upon dark magic was beyond her.

 

While Sarai and their host moved to another room to have a bit of privacy, Saixa finished making sure that Itzamma was unhurt. She noticed that his eyes had slightly changed colour again and she sighed. Tygra was going to be upset that he hadn’t witnessed his cub’s now lavender eyes for the first time. Then she got a bottle from her backpack and gave it to the babe. Itzamma latched on the tit and sucked hungrily. Snarf climbed the couch too and sat close to Itzamma’s head, sniffing and licking the cub’s forehead continuously. Even the guard was looking attentively to the babe, making sure that no harm would come to him.

 

A slightly paler Sarai and Taira returned just as Saixa was winding the cub. Itzamma seemed very alert and looked around him at everyone. He spotted Snarf and extended one little arm towards the pet, babbling incessantly. Snarf got closer and bumped his head lightly on the babe’s shoulder. Itzamma made a happy noise, but then tried to turn and look around again. Saixa got him to sit on her lap, though he wouldn’t release her clothes.

 

“He’s very stressed. I hope that his parents would arrive at the palace soon.”

 

Taira cocked her head in curiosity.

 

“I thought you were his mother?”

 

“Oh, no. I’m… well, wet nurse would be the most appropriate term. I provide the milk for him and his siblings, and take care of them.”

 

“I see. Then you’re indeed part of his family. He clearly recognizes you as such.” She said smiling. Saixa coloured a bit.

 

“Well, I suppose I am, in a way.”

 

Itzamma seemed to have finished his recognizance of the people in the room and turned to look at Saixa. A tiny sob escaped him and he pulled on her blouse. Saixa looked down at him.

 

“Oh dear, don’t be sad. We’re going home now.”

 

Itzamma sobbed again and his little mouth quivered.

 

“Ma.” He said.

 

Everyone stood frozen, looking at the cub in shock.

 

“Ma.” He repeated and pulled on Saixa’s clothes again. The jaguaress paled a bit.

 

“Oh, goddess.”

 

Itzamma turned to look at Lion-O and sobbed again.

 

“Ma!” He said louder. Lion-O blinked.

 

“I think he’s looking for Tygra and Jareid.”

 

“Oh, good.” Saixa breathed in relief. Jareid was furious enough already. He was going to be murderous when he realized that they had missed their son’s very first word. She didn’t want to know what he would have done if Itzamma had identified _her_ with that, oh so important word. She hugged the little cub against her chest again and tried to soothe him.

 

“It’s ok Itzamma. Your daddies are not here, but we’re going to meet them soon. We’re going home sweetheart. You’re going to be with them soon.”

 

Itzamma sobbed and started sucking his tiny fist. Saixa produced a teether from the bag and gave it to the anxious babe. He latched at it and continued nabbing at the toy. Then Saixa stood up and directed herself to Sarai. She wanted to hand the cub over to the Shaman, so she could look over him more thoroughly. Itzamma however wouldn’t let go of Saixa’s blouse. He whimpered in distress and held on furiously. Sarai sighed, sensing that the cub would be too distraught for her to examine him. She only passed her hands all over him, doing a quick recognition, and acknowledged that he seemed healthy.

 

Finally, Taira guided all of them outside, giving a last kiss to the cub. Sarai assured the female lizard that they would reinforce the protection she had set on the babe and would take care of everything.

 

They found Kaleb and the guards already waiting close to the transport with a furious Mai in their midst. The jaguaress was screaming imprecations at them and making demands as if she had a right to do so. Saixa sighed and held Itzamma tightly, reassuring him that none of the present cats would let the crazy woman snatch him again. Mai looked ready to strangle someone, and Kaleb was clearly losing his patience.

 

“I’d accuse you of high treason Kaleb, if you don’t do as I say! I demand my cub back, and the wretched lizard that dared to take him from me executed!”

 

“You’re in no position to demand anything at this point, Lady Mai…”

 

“I’m the princess! I’m Jareid’s rightful mate! I’m the mother of his heir! The sooner you acknowledge that, the better for you Kaleb.”

 

The councillor gritted his teeth, and for a moment allowed himself to be grateful that Jareid had never had the opportunity to choose a mate. The gods knew what would have happened if Mai had actually ended up as future queen!

 

One of the warriors scoffed at the jaguaress, and just couldn’t help himself.

 

“You’re delusional. As if king Baal would have allowed you to jeopardize the prince’s mating. The heir is Tygra’s.”

 

Immediately Mai rounded on him.

 

“That tiger is nothing to Jareid, nothing! He’d rid himself of that useless cat as soon as I have talked to him!”

 

“You’re crazy.” Concluded the warrior before Kaleb gave him a gesture to keep quiet. Mai’s eyes then spotted the approaching group, and she yelled and tried to run at them. Two guards held her arms quickly.

 

“Let me go you fools! She has my cub! You should be arresting her! Why is she here anyway?!”

 

Kaleb made his best effort to ignore her, and directed himself to Saixa, looking anxiously at the little cub she was carrying.

 

“Is he hurt?”

 

“No, only anxious and upset. He was hungry, so I fed him a bottle. Jareid though, is going to require a lot of magic and tranquilizers.”

 

Kaleb looked at her with a worried frown.

 

“I’m afraid to ask why.”

 

Itzamma had looked up from Saixa’s shoulder, and was doing his best to look around.

 

“Ma!” He called. Kaleb froze.

 

“Oh…” He looked down at the cub, who was searching everywhere around. Then two lavender, far too intelligent eyes, looked directly at him.

 

“Ma?”

 

“We’re so dead.” He said. In the background, Mai was screaming again.

 

“Let me go! Can’t you hear he’s calling for me? He knows I’m his mother!”

 

Sarai approached the trashing woman and hissed at her, having had enough of her mad ramblings.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous. He’s only babbling because Lady Saixa is here. It’s her he’s recognizing. He’s one of Tygra’s twins.”

 

“Liar! As if I wouldn’t recognize my own cub! Everyone can tell him apart from the tiger’s spawn. He’s a pure jaguar!”

 

The warriors tensed, and Kaleb could tell that the female’s claims were getting to them. He could not afford for this to become fodder for gossip.

 

“Lady Saixa, if you please show the mad woman the cub’s parentage?”

 

Saixa nodded and stepped forwards. Itzamma took one look at Mai and turned around, clinging to Saixa’s shoulder. The jaguaress soothed him, and lifted his shirt enough to expose his back. The three stripes crossing from side to side were clearly distinct, as Itzamma seemed to have no spots or other marks of any kind on his back. Mai stood in shock for a moment. The guards were at once surer in their stance. Sarai explained further, more for the warrior’s benefit than for Mai’s.

 

“Tygra gave birth to twins. The first one to be borne is Jareid’s heir. The samples you stole had not been prepared yet. You carried a girl.”

 

“No… No, that’s not possible… You did something to my cub, you… You want the tiger as Jareid’s mate! You’re doing something to make it seem that my cub is not a jaguar! You traitor!”

 

“Sarai, please?” Said Kaleb, already tired of Mai’s stubbornness. “Before I’m the one to kill her.”

 

“Of course sir.” The Shaman nodded, and then lifted her hands towards Mai, who tried to step back.

 

“Get away from me! Don’t you dare use your magic on me! You’re sworn to not hurt the royal family!”

 

“Ah, but you’re no royal my Lady. And this is not going to hurt.”

 

She cast the spell quickly, and Mai fell asleep. The guards carried her to the ship, and Kaleb finally gave the order to go. Before boarding though, he turned a last time towards Chief Deevayo. The old lizard had been observing the procedures with Anlee and his own guards at a safe distance. Lion-O followed Kaleb’s lead, wanting to thank the lizard Chief appropriately.

 

“I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused you Chief. We greatly appreciate your help.”

 

“Hai. No problem whatsoever. Though I’m surprised that the female was able to pull one over Baal. She’s giving _dangerous_ a whole new definition.”

 

“Indeed.” Kaleb sighed, and Lion-O took the opportunity to speak.

 

“I want to thank you Chief; in the name of my brother Tygra, for protecting his cub. He’ll be most grateful that his son is returned unharmed.”

 

“Nothing to thank young man. A hatchling must always be protected.”

 

“I’m sure that king Baal would want to thank you in person Chief.” Finished Kaleb. “He’d send a message soon. I expect that we’d be seeing each other again in short notice.”

 

“Very well. Until then, go in peace.”

 

Both parties said their farewells, and then the cats boarded their vehicle. The squad took no time in leaving the platform and flying away. Deevayo watched them go and sighed in relief. The cats were powerful allies, but they were undoubtedly troublesome.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Jareid was working himself into killing mode. The lack of any tangible target only enraged him more. That rage was slowly but steadily increasing as time passed by and his family was still missing a cub. He was sitting in place just because his lap was full of mate that was deeply distressed and holding two cubs tightly. The little ones were very anxious too. Ixchel was sobbing from time to time, clearly uncomfortable and grabbing tightly both his and Tygra’s clothes. Akbal was biting a teether angrily, and his little head turned to look around from time to time. He was obviously not liking what he was seeing, because every time he sobbed, babbled and tried to get Tygra’s attention. The tiger tried to soothe him, but Akbal continued restless.

 

The jaguar prince was counting the minutes for them to arrive home. He had barely noticed that they had actually spent more time than he had initially thought in Avista. While he had been focused on searching the jungle, time had slipped by. Now that he was idle, it was slowly crawling past. He knew that the trip back home would take the exact same amount of time than the first one, but it was lasting an eternity! He wanted his family complete now!

 

He growled in unhappiness, and rubbed Tygra’s back. He had demanded to talk to his mother when Baal had told him that she had a lead to Mai’s whereabouts. Baal wouldn’t let him though. He hadn’t wanted to pressure Xilara by demanding information that she might not have yet. Jareid was as a result crossed with his father. He thought that they could be directing themselves to whatever part of the jungle Mai could be instead of going home.

 

Akbal lifted his little head for the hundredth time and slapped Tygra’s cheek once more, sobbing and babbling. Tygra kissed him and looked towards Ben, silently asking what to do to calm down his son. Ben leaned towards them and put a hand on the cub’s back. Jareid sighed. His friend had already checked both cubs and had not found remnants of dark magic. They were only very scared. Jareid was still fuming that his cubs had been hurt. He was glad that Avista had been destroyed. The stupid birds deserved no less.

 

Finally, they arrived to the palace. Ben helped Tygra to get up, and the group walked as quickly as possible in search of Xilara. The queen had been warned beforehand about their arrival, and she was waiting for them in the family sitting room. As soon as they got there, Jareid immediately demanded an explanation. Baal had to force him and Tygra to sit down before Xilara started talking. The tiger was very anxious too, and was holding his two cubs tightly. Ben had accompanied them, and sighed in worry. Jareid didn’t wait long to start asking again.

 

“Mother, please, where is Itzamma?”

 

“Keep your calm son. I’m sure that he’s fine. Kaleb just called, he says that they are on their way back already. He’d be here soon.”

 

“How did you manage to find him? Where was he?”

 

“Just about an hour after you left, Anlee was here requesting a word. Kaleb and I received him, and he told us that they had found a jaguaress with a cub in their territory. She was claiming to have been kidnapped and insisted that the cub was Jareid’s son. She also insisted on being the mother.”

 

Jareid growled in anger. The fucking woman had dared to steal his cub and make it seem like she was the victim!

 

“Why didn’t they come sooner?”

 

“It was night already, and you know that the Kan-meech aren’t as keen of technology as we are. Besides, apparently the female was out of control and insisting that she could drive a vehicle all on her own. Deevayo didn’t trust her, and preferred to send his own son early this morning. The cub she was carrying was in need of attention, and it was raining, so they practically forced her to surrender the cub and stay the night.”

 

Tygra was somewhat relieved to know that his cub had been helped. He was very anxious to have him back.

 

“Where is the Kan-meech village? Is it far from here?”

 

“About 400 miles to the northeast. Kaleb took Saixa and Lion-O with him to help with Itzamma. He called a while ago to confirm that the jaguaress is indeed Mai, and that Itzamma seems to be fine. Taira took care of him, and didn’t allow Mai close to him again. I presume that it would still be a half an hour before they arrive.”

 

“Why don’t you take care of your other two cubs while we wait? I’m sure that they would be much more comfortable in your rooms.”

 

Tygra nodded and took his cubs to his den. Jareid followed him after making sure that his father will call him the moment Kaleb and the others arrived. He needed to ensure that this time Mai was not going to go free of punishment.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Kaleb looked nervously as they approached the city. He had not been expecting the fleet to be back already. He had been counting on the King’s, and especially Jareid’s, absence to get Mai safely into a cell without problems. Well, there was nothing for it. He called the Chief Commander before landing and received instructions to lead his entourage to the throne room. That meant they had to wake Mai up, which he was loath to do. He knew that the woman would start bitching again the minute she was fully awake.

 

He went to talk with Saixa and Lion-O, telling them the instructions. Neither was too happy with it. It would have been best for everyone if Mai had been allowed to wake up in isolation. Saixa sighed and looked down. She had Itzamma and Snarf on her lap, as the cub had hugged the pet the moment they had settled on the seat and had been unwilling to let him go. The babe was quiet, and looked relaxed enough, but he wouldn’t sleep. Lion-O was grateful that his nephew had recognized them and didn’t seem scared. He was confident that, once in Tygra’s arms, the little cub would be happy again and would forget the entire ordeal.

 

The situation had resolved itself relatively well, all things considered. The only apprehension the cats still had was Jareid’s reaction. Kaleb was sure that Mai would end up dead anyway. There was no way that Baal would allow kidnapping to have any other punishment than execution. But Jareid’s violence was… disturbing. Too feral and too close to the cats’ darker instincts for comfort. Kaleb felt shivers just thinking about it. It wasn’t even the fact that Jareid could kill with his bare hands if angered enough what bothered the elders. It was the fear that someday maybe he wouldn’t stop. It was something that everyone in the palace kept as a dirty secret. The untold possibility that one day Jareid would just stay feral and not regain sanity.

 

Kaleb cursed Mai for the thousandth time. Tygra had been doing so well, and had put a very nice leash on Jareid’s actions. Everyone in the council had been so very happy. Now, Kaleb really doubted that Tygra would have the presence of mind, or even want to stop his mate if he went berserk. Both of them had been ready to uproot the entire jungle looking for their cubs. Though he didn’t blame them, it was also very unnerving given Jareid’s violent disposition.

 

The ship landed, and Kaleb sent Saixa and Lion-O down before Sarai woke Mai up. The female was pretty confused and that allowed the guards to get her off the ship and into the palace without much fussing. The group of nobles and four guards made their way through the corridors with a sense of urgency. Itzamma seemed to perceive their anticipation and started to jump restlessly in Saixa’s arms. Kaleb prayed that the cub wouldn’t start crying. Thankfully, Itzamma didn’t usually make much noise, and he looked more anxious than upset. The one that started complaining was Mai.

 

Just before entering the throne room, Kaleb grabbed Saixa’s arm and said quietly to her ear.

 

“If you have the chance, give Itzamma over to Jareid.”

 

“What? But…” Saixa hesitated. It didn’t seem like a good idea. “He’s going to be angry. What if he hurts him without meaning to?”

 

“I don’t think he would. But don’t worry, just do it if you have the chance. I hope that Tygra would be there too. Maybe Itzamma would be kind enough to say his little word aloud? That would distract his parents just nicely.”

 

They stopped outside the doors to take a breath. Everyone was visibly nervous. Except Mai, who was fighting the guards’ hold and demanding to see Jareid and to have her cub back. Kaleb looked at the two cats restraining the angry female and noticed their own restlessness.

 

“You are to escort her to the king, but you don’t have the obligation to defend her from Jareid. If the prince is present, you’d follow his orders.”

 

“Yes sir.” The guards said, somewhat relieved. No one wanted to be between the prince and his target when he was furious.

 

Surprisingly, Mai also stopped fighting. If they were seeing Jareid, she was sure that she had nothing to fear. The jaguar prince was in love with her. He would free her at once, and Kaleb would pay for his mistreatment of her.

 

The councillor gave a final breath and opened the doors. The ample space was designed to show grandeur. The long hall flanked by black columns and plants ended in a set of stairs that led to the platform where the throne stood. The walls were pure white, and behind the throne was a big window from floor to ceiling. There were more windows all along the left wall, providing the hall with a fountain of illumination. The floor was also white, except for the black tiles resembling a straight path from the entrance to the stairs and the throne. Right at the middle of the hall, a stained glass in the ceiling reflected the clan’s symbol.

 

Kaleb advanced, followed closely by Saixa and Lion-O. Baal sat on the throne, with his wife standing at his right. Jareid and Tygra both were at his left. The prince was visibly tense and just barely stopping himself from charging ahead. Bengali was nowhere to be seen, but Xiar was next to the Queen. The elders and the rest of the council were standing at both sides of the hall in various states of nervousness. Kaleb groaned. Baal’s obvious intention was to pass sentence as quickly as possible, but the high councillor doubted that Jareid would be able to stand still for long.

 

Indeed, they had just walked half their way when the guards brought Mai in. Kaleb cringed when the insufferable female screamed Jareid’s name, calling for him to help her. Why the woman thought that Jareid was going to give her any help was beyond Kaleb’s comprehension. He looked horrified as the prince roared and advanced on them, fur all on end and glaring murderously.

 

Saixa, Kaleb, Snarf and Lion-O promptly stepped out of Jareid’s path. The jaguar was not even looking at them. His entire focus was on the female that had kidnapped his cubs. The guards holding Mai froze and for a second didn’t know what to do. Then, they unceremoniously pushed Mai towards their furious prince and scrambled away. The female faltered, but recovered rather quickly and extended her arms, expecting hugs and kisses from his love. What she got was a roaring Jareid, who took her arm painfully and flung her into the nearest column. Everyone cringed at the loud sound of the impact. Kaleb turned away to see that Baal had stood up. Every cat present was looking in distress as Jareid proceeded to grab Mai by the hair and slam her against the wall a couple of times. No one moved a muscle to try to stop him.

 

Tygra had followed his mate down the stairs, but stopped in front of Saixa. He smiled and lifted his arms to take his son. Itzamma was jumping excitedly and happily grabbed his father’s clothes, little arms trying to go around the grown cat’s neck. Tygra cooed and kissed his cub’s head, talking soothingly to him. Itzamma giggled happily, which made a disturbing contrast with the background sound of Jareid trying to beat Mai into a bloody pulp. Tygra was pointedly not seeing his mate’s way, apparently unconcerned by what he was doing.

 

That was until someone pulled insistently on his sleeve. Tygra turned to look at his brother’s horrified face. Lion-O gulped audibly and looked like he was going to be sick.

 

“Ty…” He said pleadingly.

 

Tygra grudgingly lifted his eyes to look at Jareid. He gritted his teeth. He knew that he ought to be stopping his mate, but was reluctant to risk bodily harm trying to save the bitch. He felt oddly detached from what Jareid was doing. The woman had taken his cubs away. Tygra was not in the best disposition to help her.

 

Itzamma babbled for a moment, and then seemed to decide that he was not getting enough attention. He lifted his tiny hand and slapped his father’s cheek a couple of times.

 

“Ma!” He called loudly.

 

Tygra froze. He turned his eyes towards his son, who was looking at him intently.

 

“Ma.” He repeated happily. Tygra was speechless. The cub’s words were clearly perceived in the shocked silence that had taken over the hall. Even Jareid stopped, eyes wide and arm frozen in midair. His ears turned minutely in attention towards his mate and son.

 

“Ma!” Itzamma tried to insert his tiny hand into Tygra’s open mouth. The tiger barely got out of his stupor.

 

“’Zamma, love. You… you’re talking.”

 

“Maaaa…” The little boy looked happily at his father and bumped his little head against the tiger’s neck.

 

Jareid turned his head towards his family. He had a nearly unconscious Mai grasped by the neck against a column. His right arm was high in the air, already posed to strike. The female was pleading weakly, begging him to recognize her, but Jareid was only listening to his son’s words. No. Just the one word, repeated over and over again. The jaguar prince released the woman he had been strangling, all but forgotten as he focused his attention on his cub. No stupid woman was going to distract him from the important moments in his cub’s life.

 

Tygra was trying to get Itzamma to change the “m” for a “d” sound without success. His little son had evidently linked him to the word “ma.” While he felt a vague sense of embarrassment about it, the pride and happiness were much more intense. The tiger turned towards Lion-O and asked.

 

“Is this the first time he talks?”

 

“Yes! Yes, the very first.” Lion-O nodded vehemently, very much aware of Jareid’s approaching figure. He was very glad that Saixa had taken the precaution of getting apart from Tygra. She was far enough for everybody to be sure that Itzamma was referring solely to the tiger.

 

Jareid walked up to his mate, pleased by the lion’s assurance that Itzamma had not said any other word before then. He embraced his mate possessively and leaned to kiss his cub’s head. Itzamma looked up and gave a delighted exclamation of “Ah!” Tygra noted the absence of the “m.” Jareid actually chuckled, as if he had not been about to murder someone.

 

“Let’s go home. Ben would check him up, and I’m sure that Akbal is so restless because his brother is not there with him.”

 

Tygra nodded and let Jareid guide him out of the hall. He pointedly didn’t look around and avoided acknowledging the slumped form at one side that was Mai.

 

No one in the hall moved until the door was firmly closed behind the pair. Baal could swear that he heard a collective sigh of relief. He huffed in annoyance at his own apprehension and then ordered Xiar to check what state was Mai in. Once it was confirmed that she was still alive, the council started to debate. Some of them proposed to just execute Mai right then. They were going to do it anyway, why prolong the inevitable? Others suggested to wait, at least until they were sure that Jareid was satisfied and was not going to lose his mind because the object of his ire had disappeared. Baal ended up ordering to keep Mai in the cells for now. They still weren’t sure of what exactly she had done to call the shadows, and if there could be further consequences of the ritual she may have used. They could have need of her, depending on Xiar’s assessment of the cub’s spiritual energy. He supposed that she should be at least kept healthy, so he ordered Xiar to send one of the Shamans to tend to her injuries. Much later, he would be asking himself why he had even bothered.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Ben had stayed in the couple’s room at Jareid’s insistence. The prince hadn’t been willing to leave his cubs with anyone else, and Tygra had thought it best to not expose them to the entire council. Besides, he had been sure that Jareid was going to go ballistic the moment he saw Mai, and his cubs had already seen enough violence. So, Bengali had been coerced into babysitter’s job. He took advantage of the position to make sure that no traces of dark magic lingered in the two cubs. Though both were still restless and spent the time rolling around on their parents’ bed.

 

Akbal was the most upset. He had managed to crawl to the border of the mattress twice, and Ben had barely caught him before he fell. The small cub kept sobbing and pointing to the study. He wanted his parents back. He was still pretty shaken. Ixchel was also restless, though her anxiety was more due to the uncomfortable feeling in her bum. The rash wasn’t severe, but enough to cause some pain to the cubs.

 

He managed to get Ixchel to sleep after applying soothing balm on her delicate skin. He was just finishing changing Akbal’s nappy, applying the same balm, when he heard the distinct noise of the study’s door opening. Akbal turned his little head towards the entrance arch again and cried in delight when his parents appeared. Ben was relieved to see Itzamma in Tygra’s arms. The cub looked fine, though he seemed to be clinging to Tygra’s clothes tightly. However, he turned towards the bed when he heard his brother’s cry. He jumped excitedly and a happy grin broke in his little face.

 

Tygra put his blond cub on the bed next to his brother, and was surprised to see him rolling on his belly and grab Akbal’s little arm. Both cubs babbled at each other incessantly and started touching and pulling everywhere they could reach. Tygra was flustered for a moment. This was the most active that Itzamma had ever been. He observed attentively as his sons got reacquainted with each other while Ben conspicuously checked Jareid up and down. The jaguar looked relatively calm, a bit disarrayed, though he was surprisingly not covered in blood as Ben had expected. There was something… different in him, and the white tiger was intrigued.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked. Jareid turned his eyes to him.

 

“You know, only four people are actually worried about me when they ask me that. You, mother, Yeanna, and Ty.”

 

Bengali frowned in mild worry. He lifted his right arm, intending to check Jareid’s spirit, but the jaguar stopped him, grabbing his wrist.

 

“I’m fine. Check my son first. He’s gone through quite an ordeal.”

 

Ben sighed and turned towards the bed. He was surprised to see Snarf among the cubs. He had not noticed the pet entering with Tygra and Jareid. Snarf was making himself comfortable at Ixchel’s back, without disturbing the little girl.

 

Seeing that his twins had finally separated, Tygra gave Akbal a plastic toy for him to entertain himself. Then the tiger got hold of his blond cub and changed him into clean nappies and a tiny shirt. He was deeply relieved when he found no sign of rash or any other injury on Itzamma. His cub waved his little arms at him, calling him “ma” all the time. Ben approached them with an amused smile.

 

“ _Ma_ , uh?”

 

Tygra huffed, but he was still smiling and kissing his son’s face and tummy, making him laugh.

 

“He’s obsessed with that word. I’m not sure he’s actually referring to me. Maybe it doesn’t mean what we think.”

 

Ben observed the little cub cautiously. He was partial to say that Itzamma was using the exclamation only when he was looking at Tygra. He only babbled to Akbal, and he made no indication that he wanted to call to anyone else.

 

“I don’t know. I think that we can be sure that he’s not just throwing a random word around. He seems pretty focused on you when he says it.”

 

Tygra sighed in acceptance and held up his cub. Akbal had crawled up to where Snarf and Ixchel were and was making himself comfortable at the other side of the pet. Jareid arranged the pillows to make a nest around the cubs, while Tygra and Ben went to sit down on the armchairs. There the white tiger focused entirely on the babe. He would have preferred to have him separated from Tygra, but he didn’t want to upset the little one. Itzamma appeared to be fine, but Ben couldn’t help but notice the way he tenaciously held on his father’s clothes. The Shaman put a hand on the cub’s back and immediately Itzamma turned his little head to look at him with wide violet eyes.

 

“Ma!” He said, and pulled on Tygra’s clothes. The tiger kissed his forehead tenderly.

 

“It’s ok love. Ben is not going to hurt you. He’s going to make sure that you’re fine. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

“His eyes changed colour.” Said Ben offhandedly. Tygra sighed.

 

“Yes, they were more greyish before. But it’s fine. They’re taking a very pretty shade of violet.”

 

Ben hummed and concentrated a bit of energy on the hand that was on Itzamma’s back. There was a bit of light, and the cub relaxed and leaned more freely on his father’s chest. He started sucking his left fist, but his eyes remained alert and focused on Ben.

 

On the bed, Jareid had finished making sure that his other two cubs were asleep and comfortable with the pet. He turned his attention to his mate and friend, observing the proceedings and every change in Ben’s face avidly.

 

Bengali started to hum an enchantment. He could now feel the vibrant ball of energy that was Itzamma’s essence, his ki. He sensed another’s magic there. It wasn’t harmful, it was in fact stabilizing Itzamma’s light. But there was something else there. Something darker, and much older.

 

Ben frowned. He could distinguish the dark magic that had found a home in Itzamma’s developing ki. It was… merging.

 

Ben opened his eyes in alarm and gently retired his hand. The cub remained quiet. Ben sighed, and Jareid immediately was over him, his presence demanding, and as imposing as always.

 

“What is it Ben?”

 

“It feels like Taira put something in place to protect him. It’s shielding him and keeping the traces of dark magic somewhat at bay, so it won’t overwhelm him, but it’s temporary. I need to talk to Sarai and Xiar.”

 

Jareid snarled at the mention of Xiar, but Tygra was too worried to notice.

 

“So, he has been affected by the dark magic. Is it hurting him?”

 

“It doesn’t appear so. I need to know exactly what Mai and Taira both did. It seems that Taira contained the dark magic, but couldn’t get rid of it. She would have explained to Sarai what she found. Xiar would be able to go from there.”

 

“Ben, I really would prefer that Xiar has nothing to do with this.”

 

Ben’s eyes widened in alarm. Now was not the time for Jareid to hold on his grudge with Xiar.

 

“Jareid, this is delicate. Xiar is the High Shaman, and he has more experience…”

 

“I don’t care how much older than you he is! As far as I know you are already at his same level. You can do everything he can!”

 

Ben gaped, completely side-tracked by Jareid’s declaration. Tygra saved him from trying to come up with a coherent response.

 

“Jareid, this is serious! I know how much you dislike Xiar, but it’s our cub’s well-being! I won’t have him hurt by this! The dark magic can do horrible damage. It has to be stopped before it starts to really eat at him.”

 

Jareid came over to sit at the armrest on Tygra’s side. He carefully put his hand on his cub’s head and slightly massaged behind the tiny ears. Itzamma made a sound of contentment and started purring.

 

“He looks so calm. Is that… thing really affecting him?”

 

“Not actively, but I’m afraid that it is there, and it has a strong hold on him. Taira’s magic is protecting him for now, but…” Ben hesitated. He would have to explain that Itzamma’s own ki was being contaminated. That would lead to him revealing something about the cub that no one had wanted to. Not so soon at least. “I really need more information. Taira’s protection is enough for now, but we have to solve this as soon as possible.”

 

Jareid growled lowly and Tygra tightened his hold on Itzamma. The thought of dark magic inside his little cub was terrifying.

 

“Ben, please, you can get rid of it, right?”

 

Bengali sighed. He feared that the darkness would be impossible to dispose of completely. But he still grabbed the young tiger’s shoulder firmly.

 

“I promise that I’d do everything I can to keep Itzamma from harm.” Tygra nodded gratefully at him and Ben stood up to go.

 

Jareid followed him as far as the sitting room and grabbed his arm urgently at the door. Ben put his free hand on the prince’s shoulder, trying to reassure him.

 

“It’s ok Jareid. Your son is going to be fine. We’d find the way to fix what Mai has done.”

 

“Just promise me that you won’t let Xiar decide what’s best based on stupid prejudices. I know that dark magic is feared, but the Shamans have the means to control it, and I won’t have my cub harmed just because no one would care to find a suitable solution.”

 

Ben pressed his lips in a thin line. He had been only thinking about how much Itzamma’s ki would change with the taint of dark magic in it, and how to help the infant to process the conflicting perceptions that would undoubtedly come. He had forgotten about the jaguars’ particular idiosyncrasy pertaining their kings.

 

“I’d make sure to refocus him if he seems to be considering politics more important than the cub’s health. I’d tell you if something seems to be fishy.”

 

“Thanks Ben. And would you please bring something to eat when you’re back?”

 

Bengali lifted an eyebrow in surprise, not at Jareid’s demand for food, but at the assumption that he’d be back soon enough to provide it.

 

“I’d send a servant. I don’t know how long it’d take for us to make a suitable assessment, and Tygra must be famished already.”

 

Jareid considered this, and finally nodded in acceptance.

 

“Fine. But be here at night. I want you to stay.”

 

Ben blinked.

 

“Here? In your rooms with you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Ben was confused for a moment, but then realized Jareid’s fear.

 

“I don’t think there would be any more shadows to worry about, Jareid. Mai’s in custody, I presume.”

 

“Yes, but she’s still alive, and as long as she remains so she can do some other stupidity. I’m not taking the chance that she still could have some means to do more magic, or thunder forbids, that her first incursion into it could still be active.”

 

“I seriously doubt it, but I agree it won’t hurt to be on guard. There are many ways she could have messed things up after all. I’d stay.”

 

“Thanks Ben.”

 

Jareid nodded to his friend and finally let him go. He returned then to his mate and cubs, already thinking about what he had to do to ensure their safety.

 

&&&&&&&

 

It was night already, and Jeron, the prison’s commander, looked impassively as Jareid approached him. He debated with himself for a moment if he should call reinforcements, but the prince looked calm and collected. He wasn’t roaring in blind fury as it had happened with Bali, and he was talking instead of forcing his way to the holding cells. The commander decided to listen, and if his prince wanted to be alone with the prisoner for a moment… Well, he really had no sympathy for traitors, and Jareid was going to be the king. It’d be in his best interest to follow the prince’s orders.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Mai looked up at the sound of the cell’s door opening. She had been waiting for the Shamans to come back after realizing the big mistake they had done. Her eyes widened though when she saw Jareid entering. She tried to sit up, regardless of the pain she was in. She had sustained several broken ribs that were now mending thanks to the Shamans’ attention. She had bruises everywhere and a broken nose. It didn’t matter, the Shaman had told her that she would be fine in about three days. She had demanded to be taken to a suitable room, but she had been denied. She was furious about that. Also, they wouldn’t allow her to see Jareid.

 

She had been broken-hearted when he had attacked her, but after some time she had convinced herself that there was a conspiracy against her. Baal had never liked that his son had been sleeping with her, and the young court had always been jealous of her good fortune. Everyone knew that she was his favourite, he had never denied it. She didn’t understand why he had been so mad. She was back. They had their heir, and he could finally get rid of the spoiled tiger. The only thing that she could think of was that his family had been telling him lies. She reasoned that probably the Shamans had done some kind of illusion. She was sure that Jareid would never have hurt her. He had probably thought she was someone else. Maybe even the tiger had manipulated him.

 

But they had made a fatal mistake; Jareid was with her now. He surely had discovered what his father had done to her and had come immediately. He was in his senses and he would take her with him now. Finally, she’d have the position she deserved and everyone was going to pay for everything she had suffered.

 

She stood up on shaky legs and waited for the prince to hold her in his arms. Jareid however snarled at her and pushed her to the bed again. She gasped in pain as she fell heavily on the mattress, and looked up in surprise.

 

“Ja-Jareid… please, you have to recognize me. All of this misunderstanding…”

 

“Don’t bother. I have always been perfectly aware of who you are. I don’t care what you have to say, Mai. I’ve put up with my father’s decision to spare your miserable life for far too long. But it ends now.”

 

“Wha…? Jareid, please, they’re lying to you! I swear that my cub is yours! No one else has ever touched me. They are trying to convince you that I was not loyal! And that bullshit that I had a girl…!”

 

“Shut up! You don’t have any cub. Even the girl is no longer yours, I don’t care if you carried her! My three children are all hybrids.”

 

“They messed with mine! He’s a boy, and he’s pure! He should be pure! You know what the shamans are capable of. They surely did something…”

 

“Of course they did something! I told them to!”

 

“W-what? You? W-why? I…”

 

“You are nothing but an insufferable leech. Why on Third Earth would I want you to have cubs with? I told the shamans to fix the third cub, so now all three are just mine and Tygra’s.”

 

“But… but you love me… I know you love me! That tiger is to blame! He has confused you!”

 

“Even if Tygra had never appeared, I would have sooner mated with Saixa than you. At least she is intelligent enough to be bearable!”

 

Mai looked horrified. She didn’t understand why she was being rejected. This couldn’t be Jareid. But there was no one else with them, and an illusion couldn’t cover the smell. It was Jareid before her.

 

“No, no, that’s not true! You always came looking for me! You always preferred me!”

 

“Please! You were fine enough for a rump, but not for much else. You were dismissed the same as every other cat that used to warm my bed. Only Saixa proved that she could be worth something. She was the only one clever enough to give Tygra his place.”

 

Mai saw red. It wasn’t possible. Jareid belonged to her, and her alone!

 

“No. No! You can’t go away! You can’t love another! I’m the only one for you Jareid! The only one!”

 

Jareid grabbed the female by the neck and quickly got her lying on the bed. He hovered over her, snarling.

 

“I know. Ben once told me that you were acting very much like myself, though I’d like to think that I’ve never been so stupid. I know what you are capable of, so I’m going to stop you, permanently.”

 

“Ugh… Ja…Jareid… please…”

 

“Of course, Lady. It would be my pleasure.”

 

There were screams, but no one outside the cell could hear them.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Tygra opened his eyes and frowned in confusion. He listened to the rain falling outside the window and took account of the three cubs sleeping on the bed with him. Snarf had preferred to sleep on the puff, so Tygra could only distinguish three little figures close to each other. He couldn’t pinpoint what had woken him up. The room was dark, save for the continuous lightening that provided a ghostly illumination from time to time.

 

He contemplated the sleeping figures of his cubs for a moment. He had been reluctant to leave them alone, and Itzamma had not wanted to let go of him. Even then he could feel his blond cub’s little hand over his arm. Ben was sleeping in the study, and Jareid… was not where he was supposed to be.

 

It took him a moment more to realize that there was a strong, coppered smell in the room. He lifted his head and looked around in mild alarm. Someone was in front of the bed, just where the armchairs were, taking off his shirt.

 

“Jareid?” He said quietly. The figure stopped and he could hear a mild chuckle.

 

“My tiger. I didn’t mean to wake you up. And after all the effort it took to make Ben go back to sleep and be quiet.”

 

“What are you doing? Has something happened?”

 

Jareid approached the bed and hovered over the tiger for a moment. The coppery smell became stronger and Tygra slowly realized that it was blood. He squinted his eyes, and at the dim illumination of lightening, he noticed that his mate’s fur was sporting several rather large dark patches.

 

“Why are you covered in blood?” He asked, feeling disoriented. Jareid only sighed and shrugged. He leaned down and gave Tygra a quick kiss on the lips.

 

“Don’t worry about that. I just made sure that you four are going to be safe. I’ll take a quick shower and be back in no time.”

 

Tygra looked as Jareid disappeared into the walk-in closet and closed the door. He took a moment to process his mate’s words and then he sat up, careful to not wake up his cubs. He looked towards the armchairs and got out of the bed. He picked up Jareid’s discarded clothes and snarled. The garments were practically drenched in blood. Tygra vaguely remembered the time when he was almost drowned. He tried to feel something in the face of the evidence of what Jareid had done, but all he was able to summon was a vague annoyance. It was as if his mind couldn’t get past the thought that the clothes were now ruined. He mechanically went through the study and the sitting room to throw the offending clothing as far away from his cubs as possible. He didn’t know if Ben had sensed him passing, but the white tiger thankfully didn’t make any move.

 

When he returned to the room, he was surprised to find Itzamma sitting upright without any help. The cub was looking around anxiously and made an anguished sound when he spotted him, lifting his little arms up. Tygra hurried to his son’s side and picked him up, rubbing his back soothingly. Itzamma settled down rather quickly and Tygra returned to the bed with him.

 

He had just put himself and his cub comfortable again when Jareid came out of the en-suite and joined them. Tygra watched as his mate lied down on the other side of the bed, leaving their cubs between them. The tiger prince started to feel uncomfortable. Jareid wasn’t smelling of blood anymore, but something was… off. He couldn’t put the finger on it, but there was something about Jareid’s attitude that was unnerving him.

 

“Jareid? Is everything alright?”

 

The jaguar looked at his mate. The light was really poor, but Tygra could still see the other cat’s eyes. Calm, collected, and strangely pleased.

 

“Of course precious. I took care of everything. No danger to our family anymore.”

 

Tygra gulped, still on edge without knowing why.

 

“Your clothes were ruined.” He said simply. Jareid’s silhouette shrugged.

 

“A minor inconvenience. What matters is that you and our cubs are safe now.”

 

He extended his right arm over the babes’ heads to reach Tygra’s cheek and caress gently. Tygra blinked. The blood. It had had to come from somewhere. There was only one way Jareid would have dealt with Mai. The memory of his nearly fatal encounter with Bali reared its ugly head again, and Tygra knew what was wrong. The rage. The uncontrollable rage and the insane look in Jareid’s eyes. It was absent. Jareid was not feral. He looked in complete control of himself.

 

Tygra whimpered and looked as Jareid caressed all three of their cubs, wondering why the absence of madness in Jareid’s demeanour felt wrong. The jaguar cupped the little head of Ixchel, who was closest to him, in one hand, and started to gently rub it. The little girl purred and moved towards her father’s warmth. Tygra barely stopped himself from reaching out to them.

 

“No more reminders, my tiny tigress. Now you’re truly mine.”

 

Tygra reached out and grabbed Jareid’s arm firmly. The jaguar hummed and moved his hand to return the gesture. Tygra could feel that his mate was close to sleep. He shuddered. He suddenly felt very grateful that Ben had managed to make Ixchel look almost exactly like him.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter that is published in other sites. After this I'd continue posting irregularly, as inspiration and time allow.


	27. Aftermath, and a Prophesy Explained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: This contains Slash, and abuse, as well as mpreg. It is dark and treats themes only for mature audience, such as sex with a minor. Do not read if you don’t like it.
> 
> *Disclaimer: I don’t own Thundercats, or any character or event associated to it, and I’m not making any money from this fiction.
> 
>  Thanks to all who reviewed.

 

 

Baal huffed in annoyance. This was the second cell drenched in blood that he had witnessed since the Thunderian princes had arrived. Though this time there weren’t entrails and body parts all over the place. Only a lot of blood and a skinned body on the bed. The skin was neatly folded at the side. Jareid had been strangely controlled and precise. He had even ordered to secure the door and made the cell soundproof beforehand. Baal had been surprised when the prison’s commander had informed him about Jareid’s nightly visit. He had been expecting it. What he had not been expecting was for his son to be calm and apparently coherent when it had happened. Well, at least there were no traumatized guards this time. Some of the shamans were already cleaning the mess. The body was going to be burned and the cinders scattered to the wind. Traitors didn’t deserve a burial. Besides, the shamans still had to decide how much dark magic could still be attached to it. She had performed a dark ritual without any training. It had just been one time, but her body could need other means of disposal, just to be sure that she was truly gone. Baal walked out of the cell and joined Xiar. The old shaman was scowling, clearly upset with the situation. Baal shrugged helplessly.

 

“She was going to be executed anyway.”

 

“That’s not the point Baal. We still don’t know which ritual she used. Itzamma is not completely fine. Sarai told me what Taira found, and Bengali’s concerns are just as worrisome. We need to know what she did. What kind of force she conjured.”

 

“We can look into her possessions. The hunters brought back everything that we found in their camp, and you yourself checked the cave. Besides, as far gone as she was, I really doubt she would have been any help.”

 

Xiar shook his head and sighed. He looked towards the cell again. He too had been expecting Jareid to kill the jaguaress, but… He felt unsettled… baffled…

 

“This is not how a king should act. And it is dangerously close to what we feared.”

 

Baal growled lowly. His son was getting better. It had only been a slip. An understandable slip, given the situation.

 

“We know that the danger has always been there. At least he wasn’t completely senseless this time.”

 

Xiar’s frown only deepened.

 

“Somehow that only makes it all the more disturbing.”

 

Baal raised an eyebrow in incredulity.

 

“There’s no pleasing you people! What do you want?”

 

“I’d want for him to **not** kill anyone. He’s supposed to wait for a formal execution. It’s only civil to do it. What do we have laws for?”

 

Baal just shook his head. He could see Xiar’s point, but as he saw things, Jareid was able to retain his wits this time. Hopefully they could stop dreading him going feral.

 

“This discussion is useless. She is dead. Let’s move on. Itzamma-kim is your priority now. He needs to be fine and healthy.”

 

Xiar groaned. The cub was healthy enough, but ‘fine…’

 

“This is not going to be easy Baal. There’s still darkness clinging to him. In a way… I fear that he may become another candidate.”

 

“Well, make it go away. You’re no strange to the dark rituals, you can get rid of it.”

 

Xiar growled inwardly. If only it were so easy.

 

&&&&&&&&&

 

Saixa sighed tiredly as she rocked Itzamma in her arms. The cub wouldn’t stop crying. He had refused to eat and had only slept for a few moments. The other two cubs were distressed because their sibling was, and no one would sleep. Snarf and Lion-O were on the floor matt, trying to distract a grouchy Akbal with a set of balls, while Yeanna moved a rattle over Ixchel. The little girl was whimpering unhappily and batting the toy away. She was still uncomfortable because of the rash, but mercifully getting better. Akbal was throwing the balls angrily at Snarf. Lion-O finally picked him up and sat with him on the rocking chair. He gave the cub a teether which Akbal bit into furiously. Saixa had been close to call Tygra once or twice. Itzamma would stop crying for a few minutes, then called “ma” quietly before sobbing again. The jaguaress didn’t want to disturb Tygra’s training, but Itzamma was clearly still scared and needed his parent’s reassurance. She had just decided to call the tiger when he entered the nursery. Itzamma stopped crying at once and called again for him, extending his little arms desperately. Tygra hurried to take his son from Saixa’s arms.

 

“Ma! Ma!”

 

“Shh, come here love. It’s ok.”

 

“Maaa…”

 

Itzamma cuddled in Tygra’s arms and held on his clothes tightly. Tygra shushed him and kissed the little head lovingly. Then he looked around to his two other cubs.

 

“Are all of them awake?”

 

“Yes, they have been for a while now. Akbal and Ixchel are very upset. They are not used to hear Itzamma crying, and they are resenting his distress. All three are still very nervous. The shock they took was a big one, and Itzamma is taking it worse.”

 

“Have they eaten?”

 

“Akbal and Ixchel have, but Itzamma refused. I’m sorry Tygra, I think he’s back to only accept food from you.”

 

Tygra sighed in worry and gave a bottle of milk to his cub. Itzamma ate quietly, and then yawned as Tygra changed his nappy. The tiger took his son with him to a new puff that he had ordered for the nursery. He lied down on it, with Itzamma cradled to his side. The cub was sleeping in short moments.

 

Lion-O took Akbal to his brother. The little black cub crawled all over Tygra, until he awkwardly nested himself beside his brother. With a little help, both cubs were soon comfortable at their father’s side. Saixa took Ixchel to the changer to check on her bum and put some more cream. Then she gave the little girl to her father. Tygra took his third cub and put her on his free side. Ixchel played with her toes for a while before yawning and finally falling asleep.

 

Tygra sighed when all three cubs were finally quiet.

 

“What am I going to do? I can’t leave him alone if he’s going to be this stressed. He’s too scared.”

 

“But you can’t drop the training Tygra. You need it.” Said Lion-O worriedly.

 

“I can always return later. My cub needs me more right now”

 

Lion-O sighed and caressed Akbal’s head. The cub still had the teether in his mouth and was nibbling it in his sleep.

 

“Ben and Xiar can fix it, Tygra. Cant’ they?” Asked Yeanna, joining Lion-O at the puff’s side.

 

“I hope so. They’re going to try and clean Itzamma’s aura this evening. I’m not sure what are they doing, and it’s getting me worried.”

 

“They’re not going to hurt him. It’s gonna be ok.” Yeanna assured him. Tygra smiled and tried very hard to convince himself that Ben could in fact solve the problem.

 

The shamans used dark magic, but not really often. Tygra had always associated it with evil, but Ben had explained that it was not always the case. Shamans’ look on dark magic was that it required a high level of skill and a strong will to be able to yield it. The things you could do with it were… different. Challenging. It was overwhelming in a level that few really understood. It was easier to do evil with it, yes, but the price it required was too high. Still, dark energy had no place to be in a cub. Tygra wanted it out of his son, and far away from his family.

 

He stayed with his cubs for the rest of the day, making sure that Itzamma ate and slept. The kits had to go to their classes soon, and Saixa stayed to help him with Akbal and Ixchel. Jareid joined him in the late afternoon and they waited together for the Shamans’ summons.

 

When Bengali arrived just after dinner, he found Jareid holding Itzamma, and leading what seemed to be a very serious conversation with the cub. Tygra was looking their way anxiously. Akbal was sitting contently in his crib, throwing a soft ball to Snarf and biting into a teether. Saixa was on the rocking chair, entertaining Ixchel. Tygra practically ran to his tiger friend as soon as he spotted him.

 

“Ben, is it time?”

 

“Take it easy Tygra. Everything is ready. We only need to wait ‘till midnight.”

 

“Why it has to be at midnight? I don’t understand what you’re doing, and I don’t want Itzamma to get hurt.”

 

“Tygra, please, calm down.” Ben grabbed the young parent by the arms and looked directly at his eyes. Tygra breathed deeply, trying to relax. “Itzamma is going to be fine. You don’t have to fear for him.”

 

“He’s just a little cub, Ben. He won’t sleep if I’m not with him. He’s still scared.”

 

Ben sighed and looked towards the jaguar prince and the cub. Itzamma was starting to fuss and turning in his father’s arms. He was already calling “ma!” and Tygra turned to go to his son. Jareid gave Itzamma to his younger parent, and the little cub calmed down immediately. Tygra sighed and turned to Ben once more.

 

“See? He only accepts Jareid for a while before he’s calling for me again.”

 

“He’s very shocked.” Said Jareid with worry. “He also recoils from time to time and hides his face. It’s like he’s seeing something.”

 

“He probably is.” Ben sighed, and Tygra looked at him in mild alarm.

 

“What do you mean Ben?”

 

“We should go to your rooms. There are some things I need to explain to you.”

 

They left Saixa in charge of the other two cubs, who were very much back to normal behaviour. They hurried to their sitting room, and Tygra sat down on the coach nervously. Jareid sat at his side, and put an arm around his waist. Itzamma gurgled a little, and then rested his head on his dad’s shoulder and yawned. Tygra rubbed the tiny back of his son lovingly and was happy that the cub had settled down. Then he looked at Ben, who had taken the armchair in front of the princes.

 

“We found out the book that Mai took with her. And we believe we know what rite she used. Xiar is… very upset. She could have done a lot more damage and…” He hesitated. What Mai had done had not only been stupid. It had been abysmal. It still had the potential to destroy them. Just one mistake and they all would be as well as doomed. He had decided that he would never try to stop Jareid from killing someone ever again. If Mai would have been dead, this wouldn’t be happening! Tygra started to feel anxious again and Itzamma made an unhappy sound because of it. Jareid clenched his teeth, knowing instinctively that he was not going to like what Ben had to say.

 

“She’d dead now. You disposed of the remains.”

 

“Yes, but the ritual she used is still active.”

 

Jareid frowned in confusion, and Tygra’s eyes widened in sudden fear.

 

“What?” The tiger breathed, tightening his hold on his cub a little bit.

 

“What does that mean?” Jareid demanded. “You’re not going to tell me that you needed her still alive, do you?”

 

“Well, Xiar would have liked it, if only so he could strangle her himself. But no, you can still be happy that you got rid of her. She stopped to be relevant the moment she finished the sacrifice.”

 

“Then, how are you going to fix what she did?” Asked Tygra. Ben sighed tiredly. Now was the difficult part.

 

“We can’t fix it. We only can close the ritual. But the repercussions would stay, and they are… unpleasant.”

 

Tygra closed his eyes and kissed his cub’s head desperately. He wanted his cub safe. He could not lose his precious cub to a mad woman’s jealousy. Jareid practically growled.

 

“What exactly are they?”

 

Ben nodded almost to himself and took a moment to organize his thoughts. It was important that both parents understood what was going to happen and why. Itzamma was going to need their entire support and the family’s. Ben had to make sure that the princes would not reject their son. It was crucial for Itzamma to have a loving family.

 

“I have to explain some things about Shamans’ magic first. It is important.”

 

Both parents frowned and Tygra asked anxiously.

 

“What does Shamans’ magic have to do with Itzamma?”

 

“Well, first of all, a Shaman does not learn how to do magic. That’s an ability he’s born with. When a cat has a special sensibility to certain feelings, it’s easier for him or her to develop awareness of the energy that gives substance to our world. This perception appear since the cat is very young. They are usually quiet, observant cubs, that don’t cry often. They are very resilient, and resistant to most common sicknesses. They also heal quite fast.”

 

Tygra gasped and Jareid scratched Itzamma’s tiny ears carefully.

 

“You’re telling me, that Itzamma is one of those cubs… that he was born with magic?”

 

“If we want to be strict, everyone is born with magic as we understand it. Itzamma was also born with the ability to perceive it more clearly than the average cat. In time, that special awareness would have allowed him to harness and control this magic, in the way that the Shamans and the Clerics do.”

 

Jareid’s frown deepened in concentration. He wanted to connect the facts and understand clearly. If Ben was explaining this to them now, it had to be relevant. Tygra was a bit confused still, but he realized that Ben wouldn’t be telling them this if not for the dark ritual that Mai had performed.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me this before? I’ve been worried sick about Itzamma!”

 

“I’m sorry, we thought it best to not tell you, at least not until Itzamma clearly showed his ability. Sometimes it goes away. The cub grows up and suddenly starts to act like every other cub. Besides, you know that we had to perform surgery on Itzamma. We were close to lose him, and we had to use more magic than we had hoped to. We weren’t completely sure if Itzamma’s behaviour was a result of that excess of magic, or if it was himself.”

 

Tygra grumbled unhappily. He returned to kiss his cub’s head and rub his back. Jareid soon prompted Ben to continue.

 

“Fine, he has the potential to be a shaman. What does it have to do with what Mai did?”

 

“When a cub is born with this special sensitivity, he or she is very receptive to magical energy. Doesn’t like changes, reacts stronger to the parents’ emotions, things like that. That’s part of the reason they are very quiet. They can’t process everything they are perceiving. The stronger the ability is in a cub, the quieter the cub gets. They sleep a lot to avoid an overload. When the cub is five years old, his sensitivity settles and goes dormant for a few years. Most cubs start the training to become shamans at 10 years old, if their ability returns. It is said then that their aura has matured and they are ready to train and start control the power they can feel. But while they are untrained, they easily attract the magic around them. Commonly, there are some entities around that can take notice of a magically strong aura. They are usually minor spirits that are not really harmful. If a cub with the potential to be a shaman is exposed to a strong entity, or an overwhelming source of magic, his or her aura suffers from overload. He’s not prepared to process the excess of energy, and his aura changes to better accept the magic that’s invading it. This forces the cub’s aura to mature before time, and his sensitivity increases. It’s very bad for the cub, because physically his brain is not prepared for it. He doesn’t understand what is happening, and his innate magic can go berserk, completely uncontrolled.”

 

Jareid clenched his teeth again. Tygra was horrified as he understood what Ben was telling them.

 

“So, what Mai did…”

 

“She called The Shadows. They are powerful dark spirits that feed on the strongest emotions of people. They need the life of the sacrifice offered to them to cross the planes, but once the ritual has started and they materialize, they don’t simply disappear back into the spiritual realm. The one who conducts the rite has control of The Shadows as long as they are bound by the sacrifice they had accepted. But once the wish that the person asked of them has been fulfilled, they are completely free of any bounds. An experimented shaman knows how to banish them back to the spiritual plane. Mai of course did no such thing. The Shadows she conjured would have scattered and look for something to feed upon. They are made of spiritual energy, and like any other spiritual entity they would have feel attracted to the closer and stronger source of magic they could find.”

 

Jareid hissed in displeasure while Tygra whimpered.

 

“Itzamma.”

 

“Itzamma was in direct contact with The Shadows. His aura was forced to accept the sudden infuse of energy, and it… It now has an enhanced affinity for dark magic.”

 

Tygra went very pale. He hugged Itzamma and tried to hide him between himself and Jareid.

 

“No. My cub is not going to be evil!”

 

“I didn’t mean that. Tygra, Itzamma is a cub. He has nothing evil. His aura is just attuned to dark energy. He would perceive it far easier than any other kind of energy.”

 

“Can’t you take it away?” He said desperately, almost sobbing.

 

“No. It doesn’t work that way. Tygra, your cub has not changed. He’s still your cub. He has only acquired an ability much earlier than he would in normal circumstances.”

 

“But, it would hurt him. You said that the shadows feed on emotions. What if he stops feeling?”

 

“No. Tygra, listen to me.” Ben stood up and approached the distressed tiger. He crouched in front of the youth and grabbed his shoulders, trying to get him to look at his eyes. “Tygra, dark magic is difficult to control, but it can be done. You don’t have to be evil to do it. You have to be sure of yourself. You learn to distinguish your own feelings from those alien to you. It is overwhelming, yes, I won’t lie to you. But Itzamma is not alone. You’re here, and he would need your help. We, the shamans, can teach him to use his power, but what he becomes would depend only on himself. He has a loving family to rely upon. He’s not going to ever need to grasp onto the darkest emotions that his power would offer.”

 

Tygra sobbed again. Itzamma lifted his little head and looked up curiously.

 

“Ma.”

 

The tiger looked at the tiny face of his son and kissed the small forehead fiercely. He was scared, but he loved his cub and he would be damned if he abandoned his own son.

 

“I don’t want to lose him.”

 

“You won’t, Tygra. He’s here. You won’t lose anyone. Your cub is going to be fine.”

 

Jareid tightened his embrace, and kissed his mate’s head. His other hand went to cover Tygra’s hand on their cub’s back.

 

“We will protect him, my tiger. He’s going to learn to use the power correctly. He’s our son, and he won’t be alone.”

 

Tygra nodded and kissed his son’s head once more. Jareid turned to the white tiger again.

 

“You said that The Shadows are still around. Are my other cubs in danger? Are we in danger?”

 

Tygra raised his head, concerned for his cubs’ safety.

 

“Xiar ordered to raise protections as soon as we knew what we were dealing with. He has also spoken with Taira, and we are convinced that The Shadows are following Itzamma. She managed to protect his aura from the worst of their energy, but they are still close. Ending the ritual should banish them.”

 

“So, that’s what you’re going to do tonight.”

 

“Yes. Everything is ready in fact. Taira agreed to help, since she started the banishment when she protected Itzamma with her aura.”

 

“Can I go with him?” Asked Tygra. “He has been very anxious, and he won’t be quiet if I’m not with him.”

 

“Well, you are like his safety-blanket right now. He feels the safest when he’s with you, because he still remembers your aura all around him.”

 

“How can he possibly remember that? I mean… that’s unheard of!”

 

“It’s not that he actually remembers. It’s just a feeling. An instinct telling him that you have always been there.”

 

Tygra smiled and caressed his cub’s head. He could live with instinct. What he had problem assimilating was the notion that Itzamma could understand far more than he was supposed to. Jareid on the other hand, was perfectly fine with the idea.

 

“Then, we can be present for this ritual.” Said the jaguar prince. Ben smiled at the way that the question was not asked.

 

“I’m afraid that your presence could put some people nervous, my prince.”

 

“That’s not my problem. They’re supposed to be Shamans. If they can’t do their job, they shouldn’t be there.”

 

Ben shook his head in mild amusement. Truly, he wouldn’t dream of denying Itzamma’s parents to be with their cub. It would be stressing enough for the little babe with all the magic at play. He would need his parents to comfort him. Xiar had been reluctant at first, because Jareid’s aura could very well result attractive to a dark spirit. Even if he was not a Shaman. However, the prince was an adult cat, and given the choice Xiar would prefer to put a grown cat through the stress of a cleaning than a cub. At least the adult would consciously try to repel the foreign energy. Tygra frowned at his mate’s egotistical behaviour.

 

“We won’t be in the way?”

 

“No. Don’t worry Tygra, we have prepared everything. Itzamma is going to be very upset, and he will need you.”

 

“Ok then.”

 

All three stayed in the rooms, speaking quietly ‘till it was almost midnight. Then, Ben guided them to the palace’s back doors and into the jungle. They walked a short distance to one of the clearings that the Shamans used for rituals. Xiar was already there, along with ten more of the Shamans and Taira. There were runes around the clearing and a stone altar at the centre. Purple candles were surrounding the altar and they emanated a spicy smell that was oddly constricted to the clearing. The table was covered with a white fabric with purple sigils on it, and on top was a bundle of white clothes making a nest.

 

Tygra gulped seeing the altar, and cradled Itzamma in his arms just a little tighter. He had tried to remain calm, but he couldn’t help to be scared. He didn’t like dark magic. He had grown up being told how evil it was. He had listened tales about disfigurations and the horrible deaths that dark magic users suffered. He didn’t want any of his children suffering that kind of fate. He was cursing Mai and was not resenting Jareid for killing her anymore. He tried to find solace in that Ben had assured him that Itzamma would not change. That they were going to block the dark energy so it wouldn’t harm his little cub. He understood what Ben had explained about Itzamma not transforming immediately into an evil creature. His cub would remain the same. Ben had insisted on the fact that Itzamma did not have to use the dark energy, even if it would be easier for him to sense it. Tygra was hoping that his cub would never feel attracted to any dark power. Ben himself knew how to control dark magic. He used it on occasion and had never allowed it to take control of him. That, more than anything else, gave Tygra hope that his cub could do the same.

 

He still looked uneasily at the far side of the clearing. Almost directly opposed to where they were standing he could see the entrance of a cave. It was not one of the big ones. It was barely an opening into a small hill, much like a rabbit hole. But Tygra knew the place. One of the first things his tutors had instructed him on was the religious celebrations and the rituals that the general population attended. This clearing, and that particular cave, was considered a door to the spiritual plane. The jaguars met around it once a year to celebrate one of their darkest deities. The one who lorded over the dead. The celebration and prayers guaranteed the deceased’s soul a safe pass through the spiritual plane into their next life. It was not an evil spirit per se, and the rites were pretty harmless, but Tygra was deeply distrustful of a door that could open at any time into the spiritual plane. Who could tell what kind of entity could be waiting at the other side?

 

He tried to get rid of his worries for the moment and waited beside Jareid for Xiar to finish giving instructions. The High Shaman looked upset, but very much in control as he directed his subordinates to their places. Two of the shamans had become a quivering bundle of nerves as soon as Jareid had arrived. Xiar had growled at them in frustration and had dismissed them back to the palace. Really. If they couldn’t deal with the stress of having the prince witnessing a ritual, how could they hope to control a dark spirit? They couldn’t afford any distractions in this. Xiar had to make sure that only reliable cats were present. Only five of them were going to do the ritual anyway. Two of the senior shamans, Ben, Taira and himself. The rest were acting as guards. They’d make sure that nothing unpleasant escaped beyond the clearing. He didn’t want any errant dark entity to escape. Fortunately, it wasn’t long since Mai had summoned The Shadows, and considering Taira’s assessment of the cub’s aura, they had been fixated on him. Xiar could tell that they were still following the tiny prince. He hoped that nothing had strayed away. They’d send them all back to where they belonged and hopefully they won’t have any errant Shadow lurking in the jungle.

 

He muttered under his breath a last time about idiot women. Any dark spirit would have been bad enough, but Mai had summoned the most powerful entity she could have managed. These Shadows were ancient. The older the spirit, the most powerful it became, and it started to develop conscience. The Shadows Mai had conjured were sentient. It was much more difficult to banish a sentient being than a mere manifestation of energy.

 

He’d have time to curse Mai’s memory later. They had to concentrate on the deed at hand. Everything was finally ready and Bengali took a sleeping Itzamma from Tygra’s arms. Both parents stayed outside of the rune circle and Tygra watched anxiously as Ben deposited his tiny cub on the nest prepared for him at the altar. Ben’s magic had helped to put Itzamma to sleep, but Tygra knew it would not be enough. He prayed that his son would remain sleeping for as long as possible. Jareid pulled his mate at his side and watched avidly as the four shamans and the lizard around the altar started to chant.

 

The fire in the candles jumped and became larger. Tygra grasped tightly Jareid’s arm as he saw the runes came to life with an eerie glow. He couldn’t understand what the shamans were chanting. He only hoped that they’d hurry as he could see the bundle of clothe in the altar starting to move. Xiar’s voice raised suddenly in a commanding tone, and before Tygra’s eyes the Shadows raised from the ground all around him and flown into the circle of runes. Suddenly it was icy cold and the runes glowed brighter. Tygra wanted to scream as he saw darkness surrounding the altar where his cub was. He could barely distinguish the cave’s opening starting to glow too. He pressed himself against Jareid, who also held him firmly.

 

_Faster, faster_ , he prayed like a mantra. In his mind they were taking too long. There was a noise like a distorted laugh and a screech and the chanting of the shamans stopped. The light of the runes became very intense for a second and then Tygra could heard his cub crying. He tried to run to him, but Jareid stopped him. They had to wait. Ben had clearly instructed them to not cross the circle until the runes were gone. They could not afford to interrupt until the banishment was finished. Thankfully, the light of the runes was already fading. They were the longest 10 seconds of Tygra’s life.

 

As soon as there was no sign of the runes, Tygra ran to the altar and picked up his cub, who latched onto him in desperation. No one stopped him, and the tiger took that to mean that it was ok to take a few steps backwards, away from the stone altar. He kissed his cub’s head and started to soothe him. He barely felt Jareid standing at his side, but he did notice his mate going tense. He risked a look to see what the problem was, and his eyes drifted towards the altar and a stunned Xiar. Tygra got closer to Jareid instinctively. At any other time, he would have thought that the expression of utter befuddlement on Xiar’s face was hilarious. At the moment though, it only made his own anxiousness worse. Jareid put an arm around his back and sneered at the High Shaman. Tygra gulped and looked at the others’ equally shocked faces.

 

“What happened? Is something wrong?”

 

He automatically looked towards Bengali who blinked a few times.

 

“Ummm…”

 

Jareid growled at his friend’s indecision. He wanted to know what had happened.

 

“Ben! What is the problem?”

 

Bengali shook his head and looked at the still stunned Xiar. Taira however had recovered her wits and decided to intervene.

 

“Oh, it’s really nothing my prince. Only that it seems that your shamans hadn’t seen one with such… great potential in ages. Specially one so young. He’s set to be a very powerful shaman when he learns to control his gift.”

 

Tygra looked closely at Ben to see if Taira’s words were truth. Jareid frowned at his friend too.

 

“Ben?”

 

The white tiger looked relieved when Taira finished her little speech. He nodded and approached the princes to check on the cub.

 

“Yes. I… well, it was more intense than we had anticipated. Truly, I never expected such a reaction from Itzamma’s aura.”

 

“But, is he ok? Have the Shadows gone?”

 

Both Tygra and Jareid focused on Ben as the white tiger checked Itzamma’s aura. They didn’t notice the dark expression on Xiar’s face at Tygra’s last question, or the uneasiness in the other shamans.

 

“His aura is stabilized. There are no dark spirits close to him now. But his spiritual energy is way stronger than we thought. He would need training much younger than usual.”

 

Tygra hugged his cub. Itzamma was calming down and sucking his closed fist as he lied with his head pressed to his father’s chest.

 

“Bengali, escort the princes to their rooms. We are finished here.” Said Xiar, finally recovering his senses. Ben nodded and started the way back to the palace in Tygra and Jareid’s company. The rest of the shamans quietly picked up the artefacts they had used and followed the couple. Xiar grunted and turned to Taira once they were alone. She half smiled to him.

 

“You’d have quite a powerful king in some decades. Try to not blow it.”

 

“It’d not be my responsibility. But I’d make sure that everything is set on track.”

 

Taira nodded and walked away. There was a transport waiting for her in the courtyard. Xiar remained behind for a couple of seconds, still considering the facts that he had witnessed. Finally, he sighed and gave a last look backwards to the cave. He frowned and growled angrily. The portal was closed and quiet now. It had only been opened for a moment. However, Xiar was certain that nothing had gone through it. In either direction.

 

&&&&&&&&

 

Bengali entered the Shamans’ building and directed himself to the conference room, sure that Xiar would want to give instructions. They needed to know what they were going to do now. He wasn’t entirely sure of what had happened, but they were going to have a hell of a time in a few years if they couldn’t guide Itzamma properly.

 

He arrived to the room and entered quickly. He was immediately confronted with a discussion between Xiar and Ketzally, one of the senior Shamans that had been present in the rite. There was only one other shaman with them, Ixcoatl. The ones that had been outside the circle were not present, as they had not really witnessed anything taking place in the rite.

 

Xiar quickly noticed Bengali’s arrival and stopped his comrade’s tirade.

 

“Enough Ketzalli. We can do nothing about it. He is the first born, and it won’t be the first time that we have a shaman for a king.”

 

“But it’d be the first time we’d have someone as powerful. He should stay in the sacred temple from now on. He needs to be raised by us!”

 

“Neither prince is going to allow that.”

 

“But his power would only grow if he’s adequately instructed. We can’t allow for it to go to waste!”

 

“It won’t. his parents are not going to stop us from training him. However, I do think that he’s still too young. You can’t expect a babe, who’s not even one-year-old, to be capable of handling spiritual training! You’re being too ambitious Ketzally.”

 

The female coloured a bit. She of course had only been thinking about power without considering that Itzamma was still an infant.

 

“Nonetheless, we should do something to prevent his power from going dormant.”

 

“I’m more concerned about it getting out of control.” Said the other shaman, who had been content with listening until then. “If it diminishes with time it’d be no great concern really, but it’s more possible that it gets too much and lash out. He is a babe, and we have no idea of how his power would react to a cub’s emotions going wild.”

 

“More reason to keep him in the temple. It’d be not only his own emotions. He’d be much more sensitive from now on. Jareid’s presence alone could provoke a disaster.”

 

Ben cringed at the mere idea of someone informing Jareid that he could be a danger for his cubs. The prince was not going to be happy at all. He looked to Xiar, hoping that Ketzally’s words wouldn’t convince him. He personally thought that Itzamma would be better of growing up with his family. Volatile parents or not. Xiar looked as if he was thinking about it for a moment, but then he shook his head and grunted.

 

“As hazardous as Jareid is, he’s learning to be calm around his cubs. It’d be worse if we isolate Itzamma. He needs his parents’ presence. Tygra’s most prominently.”

 

“Well, there’d be visits…”

 

“That’s not enough. Not for a babe. As you just said, he’s going to be much more sensitive. He needs his parents’ love and care close to him as much as possible.”

 

Xiar then turned to look directly at Ben to ask. “Unless you think that they would reject him. Tygra was raised in Thundera after all. The lions have very low tolerance for the dark. It’d be the worst case scenario if we leave the cub with his parents when he’d always know that he’s not truly wanted.”

 

“No. Tygra would never reject one of his cubs. He’s worried, and probably there’s danger of him going overprotective with Itzamma, but he loves him.”

 

Ketzally huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms. Xiar nodded in satisfaction.

 

“Good. Then we’ll start to plan. The protection he has now would fade with time. He has to have a guide and I’m afraid that no one of us would be more powerful than him. He’s going to surpass his guide at a very young age.”

 

“We’d be relying heavily on his parents’ authority then. They’d be his role models.” Offered Ixcoatl.

 

“The High Shaman needs to be his guide.” Ketzally said. “He can’t be High Shaman himself if he’s going to be the king. He would only need to acknowledge his High Shaman’s authority.”

 

Xiar made a sarcastic smile. “Which only means that my replacement would be starting his duties a bit earlier. Some of them at least.”

 

“Xiar, you still have a long way before retirement.” Said Ixcoatl. Ketzally only stood straighter.

 

“I’m however not going to be the High Shaman that puts Itzamma on the throne. No one lasts forever, and I have already served two kings. It’s time for another to continue the work.”

 

“But, you’re not planning to step aside before time do you?”

 

“Of course not. Baal still has a few years to go. I might still be the one to crown Jareid. But I’m old myself, and it won’t hurt to start training my replacement.”

 

Ketzally puffed up. She was the oldest of the shamans after Xiar, and she already had passed the critical point. The shamans seemed to age faster, but if they made it past their fifties, then their magic changed somehow and they could expect to last well past their nineties. Xiar was already around the hundreds, having been already an adult when Baal had been borne. Ixcoatl only nodded his understanding before commenting.

 

“We’d need to speak with Baal, and Jareid and Tygra, so they’re prepared to deal with the cub.”

 

Xiar scowled. It’d be difficult. Whatever they decide could very well be the fallout of their kingdom. He was glad that he wasn’t going to have that responsibility.

 

“I’d be speaking with Baal, but maybe we should keep Itzamma’s parents in the dark for now.”

 

Ben raised his eyebrows.

 

“Are you sure Xiar? Jareid already suspects that there’s something we’re not telling him. He’s going to hound me for answers.”

 

“Then you’d find the best way to calm him down. They don’t need to know that The Shadows didn’t exactly go away. There’s no danger now that they are neutralized, and we don’t want them on constant alert and tense around the cub. If Itzamma’s aura starts to show signs of darkness, then we’d deal with it in the best possible way.”

 

Ben groaned. He should have expected it really. Jareid had practically become his charge since they had been teenagers. He was the only one that the prince listened to. He felt, however, that Jareid at least should be aware of the darkness that had remained in Itzamma. He agreed that Tygra didn’t need to know that his child was in fact going to be a dark shaman, but Jareid knew what that implied, and would at least try to provide support and be more open to the shamans’ suggestions.

 

“We won’t have any problems with the prince and his mate, if they agree for the cub to remain in our care.” Said Ketzally offhandedly. Ixcoatl actually snickered and Ben rolled her eyes at her.

 

“We’re not starting again on this Ketzally. The cub stays with his parents.”

 

“But…”

 

“No ‘buts’ on this Ketzally! He’s going to have his guide, and that’d be enough. He’s going to be a king before a shaman, and doesn’t need to be isolated from his kingdom. I know you’re envisioning a powerful shaman who’d bring the ancient practices alive again, but he must learn to put his people’s needs first and foremost. There’s going to be little time for him to actually practice magic.”

 

Ketzally huffed and crossed her arms again, very disappointed.

 

“He still can give up the crown and pass it to his brother.”

 

Ixcoatl raised an eyebrow at her.

 

“His brother is a black jaguar. The people would never accept it.”

 

Ketzally actually shuddered at the thought. She had overseen Akbal’s colouring.

 

“Well, the tiger is still young. He still could have more cubs. Or lady Saixa.”

 

“I seriously doubt it.” Said Ben. “And I really don’t see the problem with Itzamma’s power going dormant, at least a bit. It’d be easier for him to control it at a manageable level.”

 

Ketzally looked at Ben murderously.

 

“He could be one of the greatest shamans ever! With that kind of power, he could even find the way for magic and technology to merge again. He could control the spiritual plane and we’d have knowledge beyond imagination!”

 

Ben was about to point out that none of them would likely be alive to see that, but Xiar beat him to it.

 

“You’re going well ahead of yourself Ketzally. He has the potential, yes, that doesn’t mean that he’d achieve full control of that power. He has a long way to go, and many of us aren’t going to be there to see it anyway.”

 

That took the wind off the woman’s sails. She deflated a bit, but Ben could still see the wistful thinking on her eyes. Ixcoatl shrugged.

 

“It’s set then. The next High Shaman would be responsible for his training, and we’d do what we can to shield him and help him when he loses control. I hope that he doesn’t inherit Jareid’s temper. The palace would be ruins before he reaches adulthood.”

 

Everyone actually groaned in despair at that comment. Xiar tensed and huffed, willing for the cub to be more reasonable than his father. His real fear was a deeper one though, but he’d only share it with the one who would see Itzamma to the crown. He hoped it was the right choice.

 

“We’d made an official announcement once I talk with Baal. From now on, I’d be training my replacement, and everyone else would treat him with the respect according to his stance. I think you both can be dismissed for now, Ketzally, Ixcoatl. I’d see you in the morning. Come Bengali. There is an important thing we need to discuss before I present you to Baal.”

 

Ben started in surprise. He opened his mouth, unsure of what Xiar was asking of him. Ixcoatl only nodded again and turned to leave, but Ketzally straightened and clenched her fists in outrage.

 

“What? Him? You can’t be serious, why him?”

 

“Come on Ketzally, you don’t seriously think for a moment that Jareid would accept anyone else?” Said Ixcoatl, stopping at the door to wait for her. She was not impressed.

 

“The prince has no say in our hierarchy. Neither the king for that matter. Who becomes High Shaman is only up to the previous High Shaman’s discretion. It’s his decision to make.”

 

“And I’m deciding that Ben is up for the job. It won’t do to have someone who would constantly be at odds with the king. Jareid won’t accept advice from anyone else anyway.”

 

“He’d have to acknowledge the High Shaman, whoever he or she is!”

 

“One of the functions of the High Shaman is to be part of the council. And as such, someone that has the king’s trust. I really consider as part of my obligations to leave in my place someone who’s not only capable to carry on with my spiritual duties, but also to be the king’s confident.”

 

Ketzally looked at Ben with scorn.

 

“And you think he would be able to?”

 

“Bengali already has Jareid’s trust. And he’s perfectly capable to handle more than the duties he’s assigned. He still has some years to work on his skills, and he’d be ready.”

 

“He’s not even a jaguar!”

 

“That however is not his fault, is it?”

 

“I don’t agree with this decision. I’ll challenge you on it!”

 

“You’re free to do so, of course. But I remind you that you have to get at least half of the shamans backing your challenge for me to consider it.”

 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure I’d have more than half.”

 

She turned around and stalked angrily out of the room. Ixcoatl sniggered at her back and followed her. Xiar huffed exasperatedly.

 

“She won’t be a problem. She’s only excited for Itzamma’s recent development, and frustrated because I won’t let her have a more important role in his future education.”

 

“But she’s right. I’m not a jaguar, and everyone would know that you’re choosing me only because of Jareid.”

 

“Then you’d only have to disabuse them of that notion. You are very capable of guiding the temple and your power is not inferior to any other’s. Besides, you are in fact the best choice to be Itzamma’s guide. Few remember this nowadays, but of all the cats’ races, the tigers are the ones with most affinity for the dark arts.”

 

Ben shivered. He already knew that dark rituals came easier for him. He hadn’t wanted to explore that aspect of magic deeper, but now it seemed that he would have to. Xiar sensed his nervousness and smiled. Bengali was still young.

 

“Don’t worry. You’re quite capable of controlling it. Remember that it is mostly our own ambitions the ones that overwhelm us. Be well prepared, and the darkness won’t find a hold to take you by surprise.”

 

The white tiger sighed. He could do it. He had been getting used to the idea that he would be the next High Shaman for a while. Only he had not expected to have this responsibility suddenly thrust to him, and for it to become more demanding than he had been prepared to. Technically he would be responsible for the future king’s actions, in a deeper fashion than it would have been for Jareid. He would only be a counsellor for Jareid, but Itzamma would see him as a mentor and guide. And the amount and kind of power that the boy would have at his disposal was nothing less than overwhelming. One mistake had the potential to be disastrous.

 

“I’m sincerely hoping for it to block itself.” Ben muttered, almost to himself, but Xiar sympathized.

 

“It’d have been preferable for his ability to follow its natural development and stay at a normal level. Alas, we can’t’ change what happened as much as we want to. We have to deal with it, and be prepared.”

 

Xiar opened a door to their left and Ben realized that they had arrived to the High Shaman’s private office. They passed a desk that had many papers on it and a computer. Then they entered the library. Ben looked around in wonder. He was not ignorant of the fact that the High Shaman had his own private library. It was considerably smaller than the main library of the Shamans, but not less interesting. After going past some bookcases full of books and manuscripts, Bengali could see another desk. He distinguished the volume that they had found on the camp. Along with other manuscripts and some portable devices the size of a notebook. Ben scowled, looking at the far side of the library. The bookcases there looked like they were storing not books, but small computers. Ben supposed that some of them stored copies of the archives that had been salvaged from… the ship?

 

Yes, it had been a ship. Ben remembered his history lessons well enough. All the sentient species of animals had arrived to Third Earth on a ship. They all had had technology at their disposal, but the great majority had condemned it and renounced it. The cats amongst them. When the jaguar clan had rejected the lions’ leadership and gone their own way, they had returned to the ship’s wreckage and recovered computers and files, everything that preserved knowledge. However, they could only store it, not having the means to access the data in a computer. It wasn’t until they had gotten their hands on the Techstone that the jaguars finally could restore the ancient computers, though only the King, the High Shaman and the First Councillor had been privy to the information first hand. Now it was the High Shaman who decided who could be trusted with the more delicate information. It was well-known that most of what had been in the ancient archives had been distributed to the general population through news and the school, but some things could have remained secret.

 

Xiar took one flat screen from the desk and motioned Ben to take a seat on one of the armchairs. Once both were seated, Xiar took a moment to collect his thoughts and finally asked.

 

“Did you understand what happened to The Shadows in the ritual?”

 

Ben pressed his lips together. It had been disturbing, mainly because he had been ready to fight the dark energy, contain it long enough for the ritual to finish the job and send the dark entities back to the spiritual plane. Instead, all the ritual seemed to do was reinforce the Shadows’ hold on Itzamma. And the thing had spoken to them. In a language that Ben had understood, but had no idea where he could have learned it.

 

“The Shadows are somehow bound to Itzamma. They are not feeding from his power though, it’s like the contrary.”

 

“It’d seem so. Did you understand what the entity said?”

 

Ben gulped, but answered truthfully. He needed to know what was going on. “Yes. Though I have the impression that I shouldn’t have.”

 

“And what did they say?”

 

Ben frowned and made an effort to remember…

 

_The clearing. Itzamma sleeping on the altar. The five of them started to chant. The Shadows came. They joined their energy, making a luminous circle to contain the darkness. Xiar started the words of banishment. Only, The Shadows didn’t attack them as they had been expecting. They retreated. They went and cowered in a circle around Itzamma. Xiar tried to lure them. The portal was open. Its energy should have been calling to the dark spirits. But then, a purplish light came out of the babe. It grew stronger and engulfed The Shadows. It was absorbing them, or so it seemed. And then they heard: **“You may think yourself powerful, shaman. But you’re nothing. Nothing! You have no power over us. As long as our new master lives, our will and might will only be his!”** Then they had disappeared in a bubble of purple light. _

 

Ben was certain that the raw power had come from Itzamma. He repeated the words he had understood to Xiar and then frowned.

 

“It is my impression that Itzamma’s aura absorbed The Shadows. But when I left the princes’ side earlier, I could sense no trace of them in him. Though he did feel stronger. Perhaps I was mistaken?”

 

“No.” Xiar sighed. “You couldn’t sense anything wrong because the darkness has successfully merged with Itzamma’s aura. It’s part of him now. Today it is hiding, but once it settles the change would be clear. Then, the dark energy would slowly become stronger as he grows. Not many would be able to actually sense it yet, not until he starts to actively use it. However, the most advanced of the shamans would be able to sense the change immediately. Our job would be try to control it as long as we can, but it’d eventually surpass our abilities. By then Itzamma should be prepared to deal with it alone.”

 

“What did Ketzally and Ixcoatl said?”

 

“They didn’t understand The Shadow’s words. They only heard gibberish. Both are under the impression that The Shadows were in fact destroyed. Thus Ketzally’s over-enthusiastic reaction. She’s already envisioning a world ruled by the jaguars.”

 

Ben huffed and shook his head in mild amusement. The world certainly didn’t need the jaguars trying to take over. Then, he frowned.

 

“If they couldn’t understand the entity’s words. Why could I?”

 

“It spoke in an ancient language. Only the priests of the evil spirits practiced it. I have been learning it, in order to continue the study of the ancient texts. Our ancestors revered four ancient spirits of evil. They gave Mum-ra, the creature to which all the animals served, his immense power and eternal life. All of us were his slaves, though he put the cats as his guards. The cats were his favourite race, and he used us to keep all the rest of the animals under control. I’ve already told you tigers have a natural affinity for dark magic. Many of the ancient priests were tigers.”

 

“I thought we had been the best pilots.”

 

“Ah, that’s also true. But you see, that was later. The previous High Shamans, including my mentor, had a theory. We don’t really know how old Mum-ra actually was, or for how long his ship had been cruising the universe. But at some point, he started to change certain things. He allowed less and less tigers to follow the spiritual path and redirected them to military instead. He started to replace the tigers with other races, especially cheetahs and jaguars.”

 

“Why would he do that?”

 

“We, my mentor and I, thought that the tigers were becoming powerful. Too powerful maybe. Also, there was something that we’d discuss later, a file that seemed to be referring to a possible betrayal. Perhaps Mum-ra didn’t feel so confident in his own power and his alliance with the evil spirits. After all, a dark entity would always betray you, the moment it senses a weakness.”

 

Ben nodded thoughtfully. He knew that the affinity to dark magic was special, and if his ancestors had been in fact serving a dark spirit, their enhanced abilities would have passed on to their descendants. No matter how long they had stayed dormant. They could reactivate at any time. Ben remembered his biological family and his natal town. His father had always told him to not let fools like the ones craving the power of dark magic to convince him to return to the darkest rituals. The evil spirits were not helpful. There was always a price to pay, and it invariably was too high. The darkness should only be used by someone strong-willed enough to not be fooled by it. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and returned to the problem at hand.

 

“Ok. Then, I have more affinity for the dark magic. I’d be able to guide Itzamma if I myself am successful in controlling it. However, it’s still a lot of power. I don’t know how we managed to contain it, but I’m sure that it could surge at the minor provocation. Sooner or later, the entire clan is going to realize what kind of power their future king has.”

 

Xiar sighed ruefully.

 

“Sadly, yes. And it is also a possibility that such power would end up corrupting him. If The Shadows have in fact recognized Itzamma as their ‘master,’ the child would have a very powerful and unstable entity at his disposal. Such power could be too attractive. We must do what we can to prevent him from actually use those ‘servants.’ If his power goes out of control, the darkness could easily consume him. He’d only live for the power then, and everything it promises.”

 

“That is in fact seriously worrying me. Apparently we can’t get rid of those spirits, but it is impossible that they just bonded with Itzamma so quickly. Mai surely did something in her ritual to allow this to happen.”

 

“Unfortunately we’d never know. Whatever she did is irrelevant now. Just focus on the problem at hand. There is still the very real possibility of total destruction here. I pray to all the deities that Itzamma doesn’t inherit Jareid’s temper.”

 

Ben shuddered involuntary. As much as he cared for the prince he was the first to say that Jareid’s volatile nature would be the death of him.

 

“You also have to keep in mind that Ketzally won’t be the only cat that would wish for the boy to use his power more actively. There are many like her. They dream of violence and glory, of power beyond imagination. Fools that don’t realize that such power would eventually destroy them. I’m very thankful that Jareid, as violent as he can be, doesn’t have such ambitions. He’s quite satisfied having the jungle as his domain and is not interested in other forms of power.”

 

Ben was silent for a moment, digesting all the information he had. Then, his eyes looked at the device in Xiar’s hands and he frowned again.

 

“There’s something else, isn’t it? In all the years I have lived here, I’ve always been reminded of the fact that we are belligerent creatures. The jaguars had already destroyed Avista once before, and are only tolerant with the other tribes that populate the jungle because we see them as inferiors. Easily destroyed if the king wishes it, and convenient to have around for the sake of trading and maybe entertainment. As you just said, many would think like Ketzally and believe that it’d be time for the jaguars to rule more than just the jungle. If Itzamma succeeds in controlling his power, this might even be possible. Why would you be worried about?”

 

Ben didn’t believe for a minute that Xiar was against the clan becoming more powerful. The old jaguar also had ambitions, and was as proud of his heritage as any other. The tiger had already witnessed the entire clan celebrating and bragging their victory over Thundera. If Baal would have wanted, Ix-Maal would have already been the cats’ council’s new home. They were now the top clan, and everyone was very aware of this fact. Ben also remembered every history lesson he had attended. The jaguars had been much more violent in the past. They had lived in constant war with the rest of the animals that had wanted to intrude in their territory. Much like Thundera. Bengali had once spent some time in the Kan-meech village, and had learned that the lizards’ ancestors had lived in the jungle as casts outs. Hiding from the cats and unable to really form a town of their own. When the jaguars had stolen the Techstone from Avista, causing its downfall, the lizards had believed themselves as good as extinct. But curiously, since their victory over the birds, the jaguars had just calmed down. It had been confusing, and this apparent quietness had prompted the monkeys to try their luck and initiate a war. It hadn’t been a long war. The jaguars now had had technology on their side, turning them deadlier than they had already been. However, the monkeys were a sly species, and had managed to inflict severe damage to the city. It had been then that the lizards had decided to take a side. They knew that the cats were going to win. The cats always won. And in an effort to prevent the clan from returning to their old behaviour and destroy the entire jungle, they had decided to survive. They had offered alliance to the cats. As little help as they could offer, they had been excellent spies, and the war had been over that much sooner. From then on, the jungle had lived in peace. It wasn’t until the recent attack to Avista’s ruins that the jaguars had used the army anywhere close to their home.

 

Xiar sighed and lifted the device minutely. “This is part of it.” He touched some icons on the portable screen and then extended his arm to Ben for the tiger to have a look. Bengali took the offered flat screen and scowled. There were several files on display, ready to be opened. Xiar put his finger on one icon and the small screen displayed what looked like a message. Ben read it quickly and lifted his eyes to look in question at the High Shaman.

 

“What is this?”

 

“This, is the prophesy about the Black King. The original one. Well, the transcript of the original, we should say.”

 

Ben’s eyes widened incredulously.

 

“That prophesy is real?” He exclaimed, and returned to read the few sentences more carefully.

 

“Indeed. Though, as you can see, the wording is very different from what the clan had believed for ages.”

 

_The end will come from one of the dark. Born from two noble lineages, king he’d be. The power to reshape the world will rest in his claws. He’d bring triumphs and great riches to his own, or unleash the evil and destroy them all at a mere thought. At his feet, the realms must bow or perish, for no entity could ever hope to oppose his might._

 

“How do you know that this is the original?”

 

“Look at it more carefully.”

 

Ben did so. At first, he didn’t notice what was he supposed to see. Finally, after some minutes of contemplation he realized what he was reading, or rather the characters written.

 

“This… is the same language that The Shadows spoke.”

 

“Yes. This was part of the files that our clan recovered when we abandoned Thundera. It is millennia old. We could only read it when we took possession of the Techstone.”

 

“But, how do you know that this is the same prophesy of the Black King that the jaguars believe in? There is no indication that it refers to a specific clan, or to the cats at all!”

 

“This store device contains all the information that three generations of High Shamans have researched on this. You know, same as everyone, that we returned to look for the ancient ship once we got the Techstone. But very few know exactly what we found.

 

‘The team was expecting to find very little, and everyone were awed to find the ship buried under tons of sand, but technically untouched. The shamans and the warriors sent started to explore the place, and they found out that it was not quite empty.”

 

Xiar started to show Ben another file. In there was a transcript of what the exploration team had done and found in the ancient ship. Ben scanned it and stopped at a point that made his eyes widen again. He raised his sight and looked at Xiar in near panic.

 

“It can’t be.”

 

“I’m afraid it is. The creature is still very much alive. At least it was when our troops found it, but I doubt its situation has changed since then.”

 

Ben looked at the screen again. He read the paragraph that had interested him more calmly. It was part of a recount of the exploration given by the then High Shaman, Ashtur.

 

_It talked to us. I swear it did. It had done so the entire time. Telling us where certain things were or what to do to turn the machines on. I had to stop the warriors from getting closer to the main chamber. I could understand and felt it better than the others. The power it promised was petrifying. It’s no doubt a dark entity, but I couldn’t describe its status. It’s not a spirit, though his power could certainly surpass the weaker ones. It’s not alive, yet not exactly dead. It’s an entity of power and evil. Two of my shamans and myself found the entrance and the statues of the evil spirits were towering over us. They felt dormant, but the evil energy still fed the thing sealed in the big sarcophagus. I don’t know what stopped me from opening it. I suppose it was fear. I certainly wasn’t coherent enough to fully comprehend the words it was saying directly to my head. Words that still repeat themselves clearly in my memory, and that now I’m able to translate._

**_‘So, it won’t be the tigers after all. Nor the lions it seems. I misunderstood the meaning, but I hardly thought your race had such potential.’_ **

_I forced myself to turn away. I practically dragged out the two that were with me. This evil is the thing that once enslaved our race. It’d destroy us given the chance. I could clearly feel it. It laughed as I was railing the soldiers out. Thank the spirits that we are a hierarchical race and that is practically wired in our genes to obey the orders of the highest ranked individual, or I fear that at least one of us would have been tempted to let such evil loose. But still, it laughed._

**_‘I’d wait… he’d come sooner or later… I’d wait for your black king…’_ **

 

“It seems like… this creature was talking about the jaguars’ prophesy. If I remember correctly, our prophesy says that a black king would be the ruin of the kingdom.”

 

“That’s the way we know it now. The High Shaman and his most trusted assistants started to research everything they could about these prophesies. They analysed the information and put it in order. The majority of what they found was in files so ancient that they should have been destroyed and become dust long ago. But the Techstone made miracles. It restored even the faded videos that had been hidden. You’d have time to analyse it all, but our predecessors concluded that the prophesy we had known for ages wasn’t originally intended for us at all.”

 

“Figures.” Ben sighed. Xiar almost smiled.

 

“The original prophesy was intended for Mum-ra. We even believe that what we have now, was also altered in some way. Apparently, he concluded that one of his priests was set to betray him. He thought that, since the priests were the only animals in direct contact with the evil spirits, one of them would eventually find the way to make a deal, and become more powerful.”

 

“But, there had never been black tigers.”

 

“No, but they were called ‘Dark Priests’ or ‘Black Mages’ on occasion.”

 

“Oh. So, he didn’t like the idea of competition?”

 

“Mum-ra weeded the tigers out of the priests’ ranks, and put the races that he thought had the less affinity to dark spiritual energy. Since the dark priests had only partial access to the files stored in the ship, over time they came to believe that a prophesy had been made about their particular clan. Mum-ra might even have allowed the rumour to focus on the black jaguars, to diminish the danger of some of his slaves thinking about trying to overthrow him. The wording of said prophesy changed as generations passed by. When eventually, the lions betrayed the creature and set us all free, the context had changed enough for the original prophesy to be forgotten. After that, the clan found its own way, and it has been thousands of years since. The prophesy that we grew up knowing is now more like a deep belief feeding a life-long prejudice. When Ashtur’s expedition found the ship, it regained importance again.”

 

“Why? It’s clear that it doesn’t necessarily apply to the clan. And it could be any cat it talks about, not just a black one.”

 

“That may be, but it’s still difficult to change the mind-set of people. The prophesy has been a learned truth for ages. And to top it off, the creature did say that it’d wait for our black king. The High Shaman continued with speculation, and the one after him, my mentor, too. It’s all in the files. They concluded that the creature envisioned one of our kings freeing it, and thus condemning us all to decimation and slavery again. The then king, along with the most trusted shamans, took the steps they thought would help to minimize the chance for that scenario to come true. They started to reshape our way of life, using technology as a convenient distraction. The dark rituals that we still celebrated started to fall in disuse more and more. We started to be more intellectual in a whole. The educational system put more attention in ancient history, taking care to drill into everyone’s heads that no one wants to be a slave again. No creature has any right to rule over our lives.

 

‘Of course, change culture takes time. The High Shaman has the responsibility to make peace more attractive, but we are predators after all. And we can’t help one bit if other tribes decide to engage in war with us, as happened with the monkeys. Though, we have make progress in making alliances with the rest of the animals. Sadly, we are still very much encased in prejudices and old beliefs. Baal-or, Baal’s father, was entirely more fanatic, and the information that the confidential files gave him provoked his paranoia to increase. He fixated on the black jaguar prophesy, and he totally freaked out when Baal presented Xilara as his intended.”

 

“Didn’t you explain to him that it wasn’t about colour?”

 

“Of course I did, and of course he didn’t listen. When a person is so set in their beliefs, they hardly listen to anything that says otherwise. I even told him my reasoning to believe that there was no possible way for the prophesy to come true. Not in our clan at least.”

 

“And why was that?”

 

“Well, there are some things that the prophesy apparently needs to fulfil itself. One of them is a king. As proud as the jaguars are, no matter how long we have isolated ourselves from the rest of the cats, we are still part of them. We are but one clan. And as much as we like to think otherwise, there had never actually been a jaguar king.”

 

Ben blinked and was confused for a moment. Then, understanding became clear in his face.

 

“Of course. No jaguar had ever claimed Thundera’s throne before.”

 

“Exactly. The clan accepted the very first lion king along with everyone else when our freedom had been finally obtained. After some years we decided that we weren’t fit for the lives the lions wanted us to follow, so we defected. Some jaguars though, stayed behind and continued being part of Thundera’s society. Our clan stablished itself elsewhere and made its own rules and our Heads called themselves kings, but never had any real power outside the clan. No Head ever truly rejected the lion king. All we did was ignore his existence as long as it didn’t interfere with our dealings.”

 

“But now that Baal has actually conquered Thundera, and has in fact won a challenge over Claudus…”

 

“Baal is the first jaguar king that has ever existed.”

 

Ben loaded the prophesy again and tried to look for clues. Xiar continued.

 

“At first, Baal was not acting king. He had the prophesy in mind when he orchestrated the treaty. I was there to remind him that we had to be careful. At the moment I was thinking that if Jareid got a taste of power, he would become bloodthirsty. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. Baal refused to use the Sword in front of the council, and thus he didn’t officially accept the title of ‘Lord of the Thundercats’. He would have been able to return the Sword of Omens to Lion-O once Claudus had passed and continue as we had been. But now that he has actually used the Sword, and it has recognized him, it would be impossible to just return it. For all that our research shows that the Sword would work for any cat, it’d obey better to the strongest. If the council notices that the Sword don’t display the expected power when wielded by Lion-O, they’d simply declare that their magical weapon doesn’t want him as king. The Sword has to be conquered again, and Lion-O would have to issue a formal challenge if he wants it back.”

 

“Somehow I doubt he’d do it. The Thunderian nobles have make a nice job of alienating their rightful heir. The moment Lion-O realizes that he no longer has any obligation to become a king, he’s going to jump of happiness.”

 

“Which means that Jareid is going to eventually inherit the Sword and the throne. We have cleanly instated ourselves as the leading clan of the cats.”

 

“But this hasn’t been a problem until now…”

 

Ben gave a bit more thought to the facts. He focused on other things that the prophesy might need, and then looked at Xiar in befuddlement.

 

“Baal had knowledge of all of this, same as you. And you still invaded Thundera and got Tygra to mate with Jareid. You… you want this prophesy to happen, don’t you?”

 

Xiar sighed and clasped his hands in front of his chest.

 

“When Baal declared his intentions to mate with Xilara, his father showed him the prophesy and part of the research that had been done, hoping to convince him to find another mate. Baal however considered that a prophesy that was at least millions of years old should not have any say on what he decided to do with his own life. He promised his father that he won’t have a black cub as his first born to appease him, but he considered all prophesy talk utter bullshit. That was, until Jareid started to have random episodes of uncontrolled rage. He insisted then on studying the files more carefully. After a while, he decided that it wouldn’t matter anyway. There was no way to know if the prophesy was being fulfilled or how. Besides, he thought I was right. There needed to be an actual jaguar king for us to be in real danger. Then, he pointed out that there were two possible outcomes if it did happen to come true, and that a real prophesy would fulfil itself whether we wanted it to or not. So, he proposed an alternate path of action. We’d continue with our lives, and if we noticed that the requirements of the prophesy might be coming to existence, then we’d try to redirect the course of events in such a way that the best possible outcome could be achieved. The prophesy marks two paths for the hypothetic dark king to follow. Either he leads us to glory, or he destroys us. I would rather have the first choice myself. Mum-ra seemed to believe that somehow the outcome would have something to do with him, and the original prophesy may have a clearer hint to it. However, we are working only with what we have.”

 

“But, how could you know if you are doing it one way or the other? For all we know, any of the other clans could be preparing a big betrayal and we’d have a snow leopard as king next.”

 

“We can’t, I agree on this. But we can do everything within our knowledge to avoid utter destruction. Baal’s raising of Jareid had many faults, but he tried to instil in his son love for his family. A family that would never betray him, and would back him up no matter what. Then, he chose a mate, from another clan, that had the potential to control him. The hard part was to ensure that Tygra would stay here, under our control. Baal never believed that Jareid could become the dark king, neither did I after I had studied the prophesy my entire life, but he had the potential to raise one. I confess that I was worried when Tygra’s twins were born, as I had dismissed the possibility of any of Tygra’s progeny to actually present black fur. I did everything in my power to not lose Itzamma. Akbal would have taken a lot of resentment if he had been the heir. Many of the nobles would have raised their voices, and Jareid would have ended up killing a few. All of that were possibilities of a dark king in the making. Of course, we only thought that we were being cautious, just in case that Lion-O wouldn’t want the title of king. Then, Mai went and did _the one_ most stupid thing she could have done!”

 

Ben couldn’t help a sarcastic chuckle. Baal was right after all. If a prophesy was real, there was no stopping it, and controlling it… Well, it was most improbable.

 

“Still, we have no way to be sure that this prophesy has any truth to it. It is ancient.”

 

“Prophesy or not, we’d be fools to deny the danger that Itzamma now presents. You can’t close your eyes to the fact that he will be a dark shaman, and a dark king.”

 

Ben groaned. That was truth. There was no denying that Itzamma would grow to be a practitioner of the dark arts. He’d have to or his power would just blow up when he could no longer contain it.

 

“There is no blocking it now.” Xiar continued. “You must find the way to make sure that he’d use it for our own benefit.”

 

“The best possible outcome.” Somehow, Ben was asking himself if controlling a prophesy was possible after all.

 

&&&&&&&

 

Itzamma was back to normal soon. It took only two days of sleeping in Tygra’s arms before he could be lied down in the crib again without him waking up. He accepted the bottle from Saixa and was sleeping through the night. Tygra happily returned to his other responsibilities and spent part of the evenings playing with his three cubs. After a week, everything that had happened seemed like a bad dream.

 

Akbal’s first tooth was already in full display, and he was now crawling everywhere easily. Tygra was upset that his cub had started to move more freely while experiencing a traumatic event. Thank the gods that Akbal didn’t seem to remember their awful adventure. He had returned to be the happy cub they all loved.

 

Ixchel had been more restless for a while, but she calmed down at last. She remained awake longer and was starting to push herself up on her little arms.

 

Itzamma went back to be quiet, though he stayed alert when Tygra was holding him. He liked to sit on Tygra’s lap, biting furiously on a toy and looking at his brother doing mayhem around him. He didn’t spoke any other word but “ma” and Tygra was starting to worry again.

 

Cheetara was completely recovered by the end of the month, and was anxious and completely heartbroken at her failure to protect the cubs. Both Lion-O and Tygra did their best to comfort her, assuring her that there hadn’t been anything she could have done. She had acted bravely and no one blamed her for the cubs’ kidnapping, not even Jareid. The jaguar prince even assured her that he knew she’d done the best she could. He had taken care of the real responsible party and his anger had been quelled already. Nevertheless, Cheetara felt utterly unprepared to be a good guardian. Xiar offered to include her in the apprentices’ lessons on offensive techniques and she accepted once she stomped away her guilt. She was not supposed to deviate from the Cleric’s path, but she needed to know how to defend her charges. Lion-O was happy that she was starting to accept the jaguars’ help and encouraged her to learn more about biotechnology. It had saved her life after all, and she could now see its advantages.

 

She however was horrified when she was told what exactly had kidnapped the cubs. And even more when Lion-O told her about the rite the shamans had done to clean Itzamma’s aura. When she saw the cubs again, she immediately scanned their auras. Akbal’s and Ixchel’s felt normal, but Itzamma’s had changed. She could feel that it was way stronger, and had started to develop darkness. It wasn’t too exposed, if you weren’t looking for it you could have missed it completely. Which only meant that it was already part of the child’s aura. There were remnants of other’s energy too. It was some kind of blockage that Xiar had put to stop the cub’s energy from overflowing. She couldn’t feel any remnant of dark energy that may meant that a dark spirit had stayed at least, but it was small consolation.

 

She was very troubled, and demanded to know every detail. Ben explained to her what Mai had done and how it may have affected Itzamma’s aura, as well as what had happened at the ritual. He didn’t tell her, however, what had really happened to The Shadows. If the rest of the shamans believed that they had been destroyed, the cleric had no reason to know the truth.

 

Cheetara understood that Itzamma now had his path practically made up for him. He’d had to learn to work with dark magic. It infuriated her. More so when she realized that some of the shamans were pretty excited about it and couldn’t wait for the cub to start showing up his power. Cheetara thought they were all mad. Couldn’t they see that it was a dark power? If it developed as strong as she perceived it was going to be, then they’d have an evil king set on the destruction of all of them. Xiar assured her that there was nothing inherently evil in the dark energy, but Cheetara didn’t believe that. Her cleric background had taught her that dark magic always degenerated in evilness. Always. There had to be a way to save Itzamma from such fate. The shamans were adamant that it had been impossible to completely purify Itzamma’s aura, but she was distrustful of them, seeing how many of their ranks were almost giddy over the prospect of having a dark shaman to teach. She didn’t doubt for a second that no one was really interested in fixing the problem.

 

She went to talk to Tygra. The tiger was not attuned to the spiritual plane, but he would understand the danger. She had tried to point out the change in his cub when she first had known about it, but had been shocked when he had only frowned and had told her that he had been aware. She hadn’t known what to say then, as there wasn’t really any trace of an evil spirit in the cub. But now that she had talked with the shamans, she had a better grasp of the situation and she imagined how they had been able to convince Tygra to let things as they were. She was not going to stand for it, not on this. The cub was the jaguars’ heir and he could be a real danger for the rest of the clans if the darkness in him was allowed to grow.

 

She found Ben in the nursery, making Tygra company. She growled at the shaman’s presence. The white tiger was only seeing to his own convenience. He was misleading Tygra. Cheetara had to do something to make her friend see reason. She looked towards the crib where Tygra was just laying down a sleeping Ixchel. Akbal was on the floor, playing with Snarf and with some toys. A few more minutes and he’d be ready for a nap. Ben was sitting on the brand new rocking chair, with a scowling Itzamma. The cub looked focused on a play panel that Ben was holding in front of him. It had different buttons and shapes that the cub could push to hear different sounds and see lights all over the toy. At the moment, Itzamma was repeatedly pushing a bird-like shape that sounded like a hawk. Akbal had a teether plush in his mouth and was rattling a turtle-shaped activity ball, making all the little balls inside change colours. Snarf was close by, looking ready to dodge whatever the cub decided to throw at him. Tygra looked up from the crib and smiled Cheetara’s way.

 

“Chee. Came to say hi?”

 

“I was hoping we could talk before dinner.”

 

“And before Jareid is around?” Tygra smirked. Cheetara still didn’t like his relationship with the jaguar prince. It was unlikely that she ever fully accepted it.

 

“Yes. I don’t think he’d like what I want to tell you.”

 

She looked towards Ben resentfully. She knew that the shaman wasn’t going to go away if Tygra didn’t directly dismiss him. At the moment, the young tiger didn’t see the need to get rid of his friend.

 

“Ok. We can talk here if you want. Akbal would be sleeping shortly.”

 

Cheetara gave a cursory look to the black cub. He had lied down, but still persisted on shaking his turtle toy viciously. Snarf was starting to carry the rest of the toys to a nearby chest. She looked pointedly to Bengali again, but the shaman had no intention to leave. He continued encouraging the babe on his lap to try different buttons on his panel. Cheetara clenched her teeth and looked to Tygra again.

 

“I’d like to talk to you alone.”

 

Tygra sighed. He had known it was coming. He understood Cheetara’s concerns. He had his own worries. He was very conscious of the fact that he was starting to put more attention on what Itzamma was doing. But his son seemed perfectly normal. There had not been any further disturbances to his cubs’ lives, and there hadn’t been any shadows around. Itzamma was still a quiet cub, though now he remained awake for longer periods of time. Tygra had also noticed that his cub clung to him with more tenacity than before, but that was expected. After the awful experience his son had gone through, Tygra really was only grateful that his behaviour was not worse.

 

“If it’s about Itzamma, Ben can listen to it. He knows better than me how his aura has changed.”

 

“And he’s done nothing about it! Tygra, this is serious. You very well know that darkness taints your spirit. It has to go!”

 

Ben sighed and stood up to give Itzamma to his father. The little cub smiled happily and clung to Tygra’s neck. Bengali looked at the other two cubs and frowned. This discussion could get loud rather quickly. He sighed in resignation, and directed Cheetara as far away from the crib as possible. Tygra also sighed and took his son to the changer while Bengali spoke with the cleric again.

 

“The darkness you’re perceiving is part of him Cheetara. It can’t be taken away, we already tried to clean his aura, but it has just accepted the dark energy. It’s part of what Itzamma is. The shadows are gone, everything that remains is from him.”

 

“The spirits could be gone, but they forced him to mature. He’s not supposed to show such power so early, and it’s leaning to the dark. That is tainting the cub’s aura and it’s only going to grow!”

 

“Please, calm down. Itzamma is in no danger…”

 

“How could you say that? It shows great potential, but it is still dark and it’s going to overwhelm him as soon as he tries to use it.”

 

Tygra turned around then. He held his cub tightly to his chest and listened to his babbling. Itzamma had always liked to be held close to his body.

 

“There had been no change in him, Chee. He’s behaving as he always has.”

 

“He could be a danger for your other cubs Tygra. That darkness…”

 

“He’s not a danger to his siblings. Akbal and Ixchel are both sleeping in the same crib, and nothing out of the ordinary has happened.”

 

“Tygra, I know that you can’t feel it, but it is there. And it is powerful, it’s only waiting for your cub to be strong enough so it can take over.”

 

Tygra bit his lips. Cheetara didn’t know that he could in fact feel it. A little bit at least. He had totally freaked out the very next morning following the ritual, when he had sensed something wrong in his cub. Ben had explained to him what it was and why he could feel it. Tygra had not been happy to learn that his ancestors had once been dark priests. He was not going to tell his family about that particular fact, ever.

 

Bengali only sighed and thanked the spirits that he had realized on time that Tygra was going to be as perceptive to dark energy as he was. The young tiger had been utterly anxious and had not really noticed the dark power in his cub because he had been overwhelmed himself. But once he’d calmed down, he’d noticed the change. Ben and Xiar had been considering what to tell the princes, or even if it was wise to tell them anything, but they had reasoned that Tygra had needed to know. He was going to sense Itzamma sooner or later and they couldn’t have him rejecting his cub. Then they had remembered Cheetara. It had been pure luck, they had honestly forgotten about her and the fact that she was a cleric. She was going to tell Tygra all the bad things that could happen. Tygra had needed to be informed by them before Cheetara would have a chance to see the cubs. Now the problem was how to deal with her.

 

“You’re talking about the dark as if it was a sentient being. But it is not so.”

 

“How could you know?! The Shadows that took him away _were_ sentient beings. What if something is just encapsulated inside the cub’s aura and we can’t feel it?”

 

“We took the necessary precautions. Xiar and Taira both used their own power to protect Itzamma. His power would be contained. He’d learn how to control it.”

 

“The dark can’t be controlled. You may believe it can, but that’s not so. And do you really think that your High Shaman is going to tell you the truth about the cub’s power when he’s so greedily looking for it?”

 

Tygra bit his lips. At first he hadn’t known whether to believe that Xiar had in fact Itzamma’s well-being as a priority. He had been more reassured when Bengali had announced the High Shaman’s decision to start training him as a replacement. And even more when Xiar had talked with both him and Jareid about the need for Itzamma to have a trusted mentor, and that it was going to be Ben. They had even talked about the prophesy, which Jareid had deemed to be pure nonsense. Tygra had just understood one thing: his cub did have the potential to do great damage, but he also had the potential to be a great king. It’d depend completely on what Itzamma would choose to do.

 

Tygra had decided that he would do everything in his power for his cub to grow up into a loving and reasonable man. He would not allow his child to become evil, in spite of whatever dark power he could have. He believed Ben when the tiger said that Itzamma could learn to control the dark and not use it for evil purposes. Besides, no one really wanted an evil king. Xiar was as anxious about that as Cheetara was. She only couldn’t see it. Both Baal and Xiar were perfectly aware that an evil dark shaman would be the end of the entire species. They were doing everything they could think of to prevent that very scenario from happening. Tygra was in fact a bit awed that they were telling him the truth, and couldn’t help but feel grateful for it.

 

Of course he couldn’t say that he had accepted it easily. He had freaked out. He had cried. He had even spent some time looking directly into Itzamma’s eyes, trying to catch any shadow lurking behind. Jareid had pointed out that he had been ridiculous, and he had yelled at his mate and very nearly challenged him again. Jareid had quickly immobilized him and had forced reason into him. Itzamma was their cub. He needed them. Whatever he’d become, they would have a large part in creating it. The same was for Akbal and Ixchel. They were raising them. Tygra was not going to simply abandon one of his cubs.

 

He kissed Itzamma and put him down with his brother and Snarf. He moved them closer to the crib, praying that Cheetara continued hissing her pointed arguments. Then he walked towards his long-time friend.

 

“I don’t entirely trust Xiar, but I trust myself Chee. My cub is not evil, and he’d never be. I’d be the one raising him, I’d not allow anyone to teach him to use his power incorrectly.”

 

“But Tygra, the dark can’t be controlled. It takes over and changes the soul. There had not been cats that had successfully master dark magic without fallen into madness!”

 

“There had been.” Said Bengali at once. Cheetara looked baffled at him.

 

“What?”

 

“There had been dark shamans. Fourteen to be precise. One of them was in fact the older brother of king Theera. He passed the crown to his younger brother because he preferred to take the mantle of High Shaman. None of them succumbed to madness, or went evil. Only two died an early death because of a ritual gone wrong. Dark shamans are very rare because of the difficulty in controlling the dark magic, but a powerful shaman is very capable of harness it without being overwhelmed.”

 

Cheetara was speechless for a second.

 

“You… the jaguars had been dealing with dark magic? For how long?”

 

“Since the beginning. The majority know how to do minor dark rites, though not many actually use dark energy much. There hadn’t been a true dark shaman in about three centuries or so, that’s why everyone is so excited about Itzamma’s power. A true dark shaman is very powerful, and can destroy dark spirits easier. Also, the dark rituals would be much more effective and with minimal repercussions.”

 

“But, it’d destroy the soul.”

 

“So far that hadn’t happened. We do use dark magic on occasion. Well, only the ones of us that have enough will-power to control it.”

 

Cheetara pressed her lips in a tight line. How could it be possible that the jaguars had been working with dark magic for centuries and yet continue to flourish? More so, why was the jungle still intact? The only reason the jaguars had invaded Thundera had been because some treacherous nobles had made it happen. And they had not completely annihilated the city, though they could have done so easily.

 

She shook her head. It was not the same. Not really. Maybe they could perform some rituals and do minor magic, but what Itzamma would be able to do was more terrifying. If Itzamma was allowed to practice dark magic it would be disastrous.

 

“Maybe no one has used the magic’s full potential. Itzamma could be capable to do it. If he falls into the darkness he could be unstoppable. How are you going to control him?”

 

“No one is going to control him. He’s going to learn to control himself. He has to grow up sure of himself and with a good environment. His values are going to be essential for him to make the adequate choices.”

 

“That’s crazy. You can’t possibly be sure that he’s going to have good values. Not with darkness inside him already!”

 

“Of course we can be sure. I’d be teaching him.” Said Tygra, a little hurt that his friend apparently thought that knowledge and values were going to come to his cub all by themselves. “He has his family. He’d distinguish very well between good and bad. I’m not going to simply let anyone teach him.”

 

“Tygra please. The point is not if he would know what’s good or bad. It’s that he’d prefer to do the bad. It would be much more appealing to him.”

 

“Just because he’s going to be able to sense it better doesn’t automatically make it more appealing. There’s going to be love and joy in his life. He’s not going to stop feeling good emotions.”

 

“It’s possible that he does exactly that!”

 

“Chee.” Tygra got closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “I know that you’ve learned all the bad things that can happen. But there really are no proof of that.”

 

“No proof? Tygra… the ancient scrolls say how horrible dark magic is.”

 

“I know. We have strict laws, and because of them no cleric has ever tried to harness it. No one actually had dared to do it. The shamans had. They had been doing it for ages, in fact, and civilization has not ended yet.”

 

“Perhaps there hasn’t been a shaman powerful enough…”

 

“Or maybe it is possible to control one’s own urges.”

 

Cheetara huffed in desperation. She took her hands to her head and groaned, trying to think.

 

“The laws are there to protect us. They are absolute. The evil spirits are still around, just waiting for an opportunity.”

 

“There’s not going to be an opportunity. Itzamma is going to learn to keep his power under control. No evil spirit is going to be called, ever.”

 

The cleric looked towards the cubs. Itzamma had lied down besides his twin, and both of them seemed to have drifted off to sleep. There was really no sign of any alien aura in the cub. The power she could perceive had great potential. She wouldn’t be anxious about it if there wasn’t the taint of dark energy that was now part of the cub’s soul.

 

“At least let Jaga check him up.”

 

“Jaga?” Ben asked. Tygra frowned at his friend.

 

“Yes. He’d be able to tell if the darkness is corrupting the cub’s soul. Maybe he can figure a way to dispose of it, so Itzamma’s aura would be clean again. He’d do what the shamans maybe don’t want to do.”

 

Ben cocked his head to the side, considering it. Itzamma’s aura couldn’t be cleaned. There was nothing to dispose of. His energy had simply changed. But maybe the cleric could block some of the wild power that Itzamma possessed. It would be a great help.

 

“It couldn’t hurt.” He started. Cheetara looked at him in surprise. She had been expecting him to deny any help from the Head of the Clerics. Tygra, however, clenched his fists and growled.

 

“No.”

 

Cheetara turned her head towards the younger tiger again. She opened her mouth in shock.

 

“What? Why not? Jaga can help Tygra…”

 

“No Chee. You know very well what Jaga would do. He wouldn’t care about Itzamma’s well-being. He’d only see a danger for the kingdom!”

 

“But, Tygra, what if he is a danger?”

 

“He’s a cub! None of you would understand that fact. You’re only seeing dark magic, and screaming bloody murder. Jaga is going to be the same. He’s going to follow the letter of the law, and I won’t stand by it!”

 

“What do you mean?” Asked Ben curiously. Tygra sighed.

 

“The law of Thundera declares all kinds of dark magic illegal. Every dark artefact is to be destroyed on sight. Any one surprised practicing it, is to be executed immediately. It’s the only crime that grants execution, in fact. If someone is found with the taint of dark energy, the cat is questioned and exiled after cleaning their aura, only if they’re deemed as unwilling participants. If not, they’re also executed. There are no exemptions.”

 

“Jaga would find the way to clean Itzamma’s aura.”

 

“And what’s he going to do when he convinces himself that it can’t be done? He’s going to try, and hurt my son in the process. He won’t care that he’s a cub! The taint won’t go away entirely Chee. It’s his own aura now. It’s part of him.”

 

“Jaga knows how to remove the taint, even if it has begun to change the soul. He’d remove that part.”

 

Ben’s eyes widened at that comment, as Tygra growled under his breath.

 

“But that can cause severe damage. It’d mutilate the soul. An adult would suffer greatly. I wouldn’t dare to do that to a cub. His capacity to interact with the world would be practically destroyed. It would be like having a doll.”

 

“It won’t be like that. I’m sure that Jaga can do it with minimum damage. And even if Itzamma ends up being much more quiet, it certainly would be better than him going dark.”

 

“No.” Said Tygra with finality. Cheetara opened her mouth again, but Tygra had heard enough. “Forget about it Cheetara. Jaga is not going to put a finger on my cub. You’re not going to get close to him as long as you insist on treating him as if he were a thing!”

 

Cheetara’s eyes widened. She shook her head in denial and tried to approach the young tiger.

 

“Tygra… I… I only want to protect you…”

 

“I don’t need protection against my own cub! I’d be protecting him from you and the rest of the Thunderians. No one is going to judge him, or talk bullshit about him, just because he has a very powerful aura.”

 

“But… the dark…”

 

“I don’t care if it’s dark! My cub is just a babe. He doesn’t know anything about rituals or evil spirits. He’s going to have a happy life, and he’s never going to need any dark entities!”

 

Cheetara clenched her fists. This could not be happening. Tygra was supposed to listen to her! The jaguars had made the darkness look so innocent, it was unbelievable. She tried to think of what to say, when a little voice interrupted them.

 

“Ma!”

 

Tygra immediately turned around. Itzamma was sitting beside his brother, rubbing his sleepy eyes. The tiger went to pick up his son, who lifted his little arms as soon as he noticed his parent close by.

 

“Ma.”

 

“Come here love. Did we wake you up? I’m sorry.”

 

Tygra held the little cub lovingly, letting him get comfortable. Itzamma rested his head on his father’s shoulder and yawned.

 

“I think there’s nothing more to say Cheetara. If you excuse me, Jareid would be here any minute now.” He said rather coldly, and without turning to see the cheetah.

 

Cheetara was very confused. She couldn’t understand why Tygra didn’t want Jaga to try to heal his son. Or why he would risk his other cubs’ safety. The shamans had blocked Itzamma’s power for the moment, but that was no guarantee that the evil spirits would ignore it. The cub was like a magnet. He was going to attract bad things even without meaning to. He needed to be stopped now that he was a cub, before he truly understood the amount of power he had.

 

Bengali sighed and approached the cleric gingerly. She was taking the situation worse than both Tygra and Lion-O. In a way he was grateful that it was her the one reacting badly to the cub’s change and not Tygra. But still, she could cause problems. Her influence needed to be neutralized.

 

“Perhaps it’d be best to not alienate your friend.”

 

Cheetara glared at him. Ben shrugged.

 

“He’s only protecting his child.”

 

“It’s wrong! The cub is now a danger; he has to be stopped!”

 

“Stopped from doing what exactly? Growing up? He’s going to be raised with love. We are going to teach him how to adequately use his power. He’d know the dangers of summoning dark spirits.”

 

“You very well know that it’s not going to matter. As soon as he tastes the dark there’s not going to be anything else.”

 

Ben frowned.

 

“Is that really what you think? That no matter what his parents would do, he’s going to simply ditch everything and become a mindless, evil force?”

 

“The dark is that destructive, yes. If we don’t remove it now, he’s going to be the end of every one of us.”

 

Ben got distracted when he listened to Tygra attempting to put Itzamma in the crib. The little cub wriggled unhappily and pointed insistently to his brother. Akbal was still on the floor, over the matt that usually served as playing ground.

 

“Do you want your twin in the crib first? You’re such a good brother, love.”

 

“Ma!” Itzamma insisted, leaning a bit over Tygra’s arms.

 

Ben looked sideways at Cheetara.

 

“I don’t believe that. I’ve seen enough cats practice the dark rites without turning against their families or their principles. Itzamma is no different. He only has more… possibilities.”

 

“That’s…”

 

“Not of your concern. Not as long as he lives here. Remember that.”

 

Ben approached the young tiger to help him pick up Akbal. Once the black cub was sleeping in the crib, Itzamma calmed down and let Tygra lie him down too. Snarf climbed into the crib as usual.

 

Cheetara bit her lips. She wanted to say more, but she had to leave when Tygra practically growled at her. She needed to think of a better way to get Tygra to listen. She had to change her strategy. She didn’t want to see the little cub being corrupted. The darkness had to go.

 


End file.
